“Quamrul Islam said Tarique Rahman will be brought back home by any means. His that comment is the violation of the articles 31 and 32 of the constitution,” said Tarique’s counsel and party joint secretary general Mahbub Uddin Khokan, MP.
At a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, he also described the state minister’s comment as a threat to Tarique, the eldest son of BNP chief Khaleda Zia, now in London.
Addressing an anti-hartal sit-in in front of Awami League office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city earlier in the day, Quamrul said Tarique is a fugitive and he has to return home, no matter what the process is.
Reacting to the state minister’s remarks, Khokan said Quamrul has tried to snatch the basic right of the BNP senior vice chairman with his remarks. “The government will have to shoulder the responsibility if any thing bad happens to Tarique.”
He urged the state minister to refrain from making such unguarded and reckless comments. “His remarks abash us as lawyers.”
Khokan, also the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) general secretary, called upon Quamrul to seek apology to the nation for making comments contrary to the constitution.
“We want to clearly state that Tarique Rahman went to London with the permission of the court. He has been under going treatment there under a medical board.”
The BNP senior vice chairman, who has been staying in London since 2008, came to the spotlight last week after he addressed a meeting of BNP in East London on May 20.
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.
