“In politics, there’s no term of undertaking. We want to ask the Home Minister to clarify before the nation as to whom, when and what undertaking BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman had given,” said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
The BNP leader came up with the demand at an impromptu press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Fakhrul said, “The Home Minister alleged that our party senior vice chairman breached the promise he had made in an undertaking. We condemned his that remarks about a popular leader of the country.”
On Thursday at a function in Chittagong, MK Alamgir said, “Tarique Rahman went abroad for treatment by giving an undertaking that he won’t get involved in politics again. But he has broken his promise and that’s why the Bangladesh government has taken the legal action against him.”
Reacting to the remarks, Fakhrul said the Home Minister and all other ruling party leaders are conducting “false propaganda” against Tarique only to damage his image and political career.
He also urged the government and ruling party men to refrain from carrying out such propaganda campaign. “Face the political issues politically. Please, stop your (govt) false propaganda.”
Fakhrul said Tarique went to London with the permission of the High Court as he was critically ill. “He is still sick. He (Tarique) will return home and involve in politics when he will come round.”
Replying to a question, Fakhrul said the government is carrying out a negative campaign against Tarique in a planned way to divert people’s attention from the opposition’s movement for restoration of the caretaker government system.
“We want to clearly state that the government won’t be able to push us back from our caretaker government demand. People won’t accept any election if it is not held under a non-party administration,” he added.
BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and chairperson’s adviser Dr Osman Farroque were, among others, present at the press conference.
The BNP senior vice chairman, who has been staying in London since 2008, came to the spotlight after he addressed a meeting of BNP in East London on May 20.
Tarique reportedly told the meeting that the government should accept people’s demand for restoration of the caretaker government in the interest of the country. He also urged the Bangladeshi expatriates to put pressure on the government to accept the demand that virtually aggrieved the ruling party men.
On Sunday, a Dhaka court issued a warrant for the arrest of Tarique in a money-laundering case and asked the government to take necessary steps to bring him back with the help of Interpol.
Tarique, arrested on March 7, 2007 during the army-backed interim regime, was freed from jail on bail on September 3, 2008 and left for London for treatment eight days later.
