Khaleda pulls for Hefajat at Sathkhira; presence of Jamaat activists noticeable
The government would be held responsible for anarchy, if created, centring on the Hefajat-e Islam’s long march towards Dhaka tomorrow, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia said yesterday.
She said Hefajat had every right to organise programmes demanding punishment to those “who had made derogatory remarks about Islam and Prophet Hazrat Muhammad [pbuh] and hurt our religious sentiments”. But, Khaleda claimed, a hartal was called and various other measures were taken by the government and its supporters to foil the long march.
The leader of the 18-party opposition made the remarks at a condolence rally at Satkhira Govt Boys’ High School playground.
Since February 5, youths under the banner of Bloggers and Online Activists Network have been calling for death penalty for all war criminals and a ban on Jamaat-Shibir. However, a smear campaign was launched following the murder of a blogger on February 15 to label the young protesters as atheists.
Against this backdrop, Hefajat announced the long march programme, demanding that the government punish those who insult Islam and its prophet.
To the frustration of many who are with the movement against war criminals, the government on April 2 and 3 arrested four bloggers, accusing them of hurting religious sentiments.
Khaleda, however, said the government had treated the four as son-in-laws instead of punishing them, which was protested by the “religious Muslims and Alem-Ulama”.
“It is a great sin to speak ill of our beloved Prophet,” she noted.
Meanwhile, Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee and another 23 pro-liberation organisation have called a 24-hour hartal to be enforced from 6:00pm today to resist Hefajat-e Islam.
Two “pro-government” Islamic organisations had been allowed to hold rallies in the capital, Khaleda said, adding likewise the government should not bar Hefajat from holding its programme peacefully.
The BNP chief on Wednesday left Dhaka on a two-day visit to Satkhira to console family members of those who had died in recent violence in the area following the sentencing of Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee to death in a war crimes case on February 28.
Twelve people died in Satkhira sadar and Kolaroa upazila when unruly Jamaat-Shibir men clashed with law enforcers, including members of Border Guard Bangladesh.
Yesterday, in presence of thousands of leaders and activists of the BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami, Khaleda termed this killing as genocide.
She handed over cash to family members of the deceased.
Earlier in the day, she gave cash to three victims’ families at another condolence rally at Kolaroa upazila.
In her speech at Satkhira sadar, the BNP chief threatened that there would be more hartals in the days to come to oust the government.
She, however, said the opposition alliance would not enforce hartal anymore if the government stepped down and created a level-playing field for the next parliamentary elections by handing over power to a caretaker government
“Let’s see who is popular. If you are popular to people, they will cast votes in your favour. But you will have to accept the results, whatever they are, and this is democracy.”
Referring to Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir’s latest comment that the BNP chief would be accused of masterminding the recent attacks on police by Jamaat-Shibir men, Khaleda said, “The prime minister would be blamed first for her orders to kill people.
“Within a month, the government killed over 180 people and it was the prime minister who issued orders to kill these people.”
Dubbing Alamgir as “top Razakar”, Khaleda called upon the government to try and punish him. “Then we will understand the government is impartial [in trying the war criminals].”
The opposition leader in parliament also reiterated that if her party was voted to power, she would try the “real war criminals” irrespective of their party affiliations.
“We must try the real perpetrators who committed crimes against humanity [during 1971 war], ensuring transparency and that the trial conforms to international standard.”
Source: The Daily Star
