Awami League MPs have alleged that the BNP leadership was involved in a conspiracy to ‘kidnap’ Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy.
They based their allegations on the recent sentencing of a BNP leader’s son in the US for bribing a FBI special agent to gain information of the whereabouts of a ‘prominent opposition leader in Bangladesh’
The ruling lawmakers were joined during the session on Sunday by independent and Jatiya Party deputies who demanded exemplary punishment to those involved.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was also present in Parliament at the time.
Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, who was presiding over the proceedings, urged the government to look into the matter.
Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy
Rizve Ahmed Caesar, 36, son of Mohammad Ullah Mamun, vice-president of BNP’s cultural wing JaSaS, was sentenced by US District Judge Vincent L Briccetti of the Southern District of New York on Mar 4.
A Connecticut-resident, Caesar had earlier pleaded guilty to bribing Special Agent Robert Lustyik for confidential documents and secret information of US law-enforcing agencies between September 2011 and March 2012.
He requested the confidential information to help him locate and harm his political rival and others associated with the intended victim, a US Justice Department statement said.
Although the Justice Department records kept the identity of the intended victim a secret, several media in Bangladesh claimed that it was Joy.
The Awami League lawmakers have now made similar claims.
The party’s Advisory Council member and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed brought up the matter on the floor on Sunday.
Referring to the verdict of the US court, he said: “Rizve Ahmed admitted that he had conspired at the instruction of the BNP high command. What do we understand by this ‘high command’?”
“We would not only be condemning it. More investigation has to be conducted. The real conspirators have to be punished.
“Where is this high command? Who has paid half a million dollars? These need to be looked into,” he added.
Former law minister Abdul Matin Khasru said: “It’s a dreadful incident. It’s a conspiracy to destroy Joy. The BNP is the mastermind of this conspiracy.”
“Who are the high command of the BNP? Independent probe has to be conducted. I wish to tell the government that proper investigation has to be done immediately.”
He said those involved in the conspiracy had to be handed down exemplary punishment.
Another Awami League Advisory Council member Suranjit Sengupta said: “We don’t consider Tofail Ahmed or Amir Hossain Amu the Awami League high command.”
“We consider Sheikh Hasina (as Awami League high command), Khaleda Zia as BNP high command and Tarique (Rahman) the second high command.”
“There is no room for doubt here. None of our agencies has investigated it; it’s done by the FBI. A court there has conducted the trial. There was no influence from our government,” he said.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said: “The investigation has to be done in the US, if necessary. The foreign minister will extend all cooperation (for that).”
Independent MP Rustam Ali Farazi suggested passage of a parliamentary resolution and taking cooperation from the US for the investigation.
Opposition MP Pir Fazlur Rahman criticised the foreign minister for not making any statement over the US court verdict.
Source: bdnews24
