Calling upon the government to restore the atmosphere of political coexistence in the country, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday demanded the quick release of ailing senior opposition leaders.
In a statement, she said, “I demand the immediate release of the leaders and activists of opposition parties after withdrawing all the false cases filed against them out of political vengeance. I specially demand the quick release of ailing senior leaders.”
The BNP chief alleged that the normal right of the arrested political leaders and activists to get bail is being hampered due to strong opposition by the government. “The government is refusing to give bails to those instantly need to go abroad for better treatment. I call upon the regime to shun such inhuman attitude.”
Mentioning that the ruling party are relishing by demobilising the activities of a party like BNP with its repressive acts, Khaleda reminded that no one ever had any good results by blocking a democratic political process. “I urge the ruling party to take this lesson from history and thus restore the atmosphere of political coexistence.”
She claimed that her party’s many senior leaders, including acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, vice president Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, her adviser MA Mannan, Shamsuzzaman Dudu, and Mosaddek Ali, have long been detained in ‘false’ cases without any trial.
The former Prime Minister alleged that the cases were filed against her party leaders out of political vengeance as part of the government’s heinous design to suppress the opposition.
She also alleged that her party’s arrested leaders were both physically and mentally tortured taking them on remands repeatedly with an ulterior motive. “Many of them are elderly people and suffering from various diseases and they’ve become seriously ill for lack of proper treatment in jails.”
Khaleda claimed that her party’s assistant organising secretary Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu died in Rajshahi Central Jail due to cruel negligee of duty by its authorities.
She also expressed deep concern as seriously ill Mirza Fakhrul has been recently sent back to jail without giving him proper treatment and Khandaker Mosharraf is not getting treatment after his bathroom fall in jail.
Source: UNB