PM attempts to provoke people against judiciary: BNP

Bangladesh Nationalist Party holds a news briefing at the party chairperson’s office on Tuesday night.– New Age photo

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday alleged that prime minister Sheikh Hasina in her recent statements made a ‘failed attempt to provoke people against judiciary.’
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, flanked by senior leaders, at an urgent news
conference, urged people to stay alert to ruling Awami League’s ‘horrible conspiracy’ and take stand for democracy, rule of law and independence of judiciary.
He said that prime minister’s remarks about the Supreme Court, judiciary and judges ‘worried’ and ‘stunned’ BNP.
Fkharul said that Hasina even mocked the patriotic armed forces branding it as ‘uttar para.’
He said that they had been noticing for many days that any responsible respected citizens and media were not spared from prime minister’s ‘attacking statements.’
The BNP leader said that being angry with the Supreme Court verdict that scrapped the 16th amendment to the constitution, Hasina, her party leaders and ministers started spitting venom targeting the highest court, judiciary, judges and the chief justice.
He said that Hasina threatened chief justice SK Sinha for stepping aside and made a ‘failed attempt’ to provoke people against judiciary.
‘We fear that this irresponsibility may create further anarchy,’ he said.
He said that due to the verdict, AL created such a situation making the judiciary the target of attack which was an ‘ominous sign’ for the nation.
Fakhrul said the prime minister was playing with fire by pushing the state and constitutional institutions into confrontation with each other.
Replying to a question, he said that Hasina definitely committed contempt of court.
The briefing was organised at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office Tuesday evening to give reaction to the comments Hasina made on Monday slamming the chief justice for comparing Bangladesh with Pakistan.
‘I will tell one word that everything could be tolerated, but comparing Bangladesh with Pakistan cannot be acceptable,’ the prime said at a discussion on Monday.
The chief justice, during a hearing on Sunday, said that in Pakistan no storm was raised by Supreme Court verdict that led to the resignation of prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Asked about BNP’s stand on the chief justice’s remarks on Pakistan Supreme Court’s recent verdict that led to resignation of prime minister Nawaz Sharif, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said that the chief justice just gave an example of a Supreme Court verdict that removed an elected prime minister.
He said that Nawaz Sharif accepted the verdict saying he did not get ‘justice.’
Moudud said that the chief justice just stated about the spirit and here there was no scope of meaning it love for Pakistan.
BNP leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Mirza Abbas and Nazrul Islam Khan, among others, were present at the news conference.

Source: New Age