Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called upon India on Thursday to extradite ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh without delay.
"We don't expect India to give shelter to a mass murderer (Sheikh Hasina) and plunderer of public money without valid documents. Please send her back to Bangladesh without wasting time," BNP vice-chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu said at a human chain programme organised by 'Save the Country, Save the People Movement' in front of the National Press Club in the city demanding trial of Sheikh Hasina and her collaborators for the mass killing during the July-August movement.
"India is our friend. They (India) helped us during our War of Liberation. Those who killed students, children and mass people (during the July-August 2024 movement against Sheikh Hasina) and plundered billions of taka couldn't stay in India. I call upon the Indian government please send her (Sheikh Hasina) back to Bangladesh without wasting much time," he continued.
"The people of Bangladesh are a brave nation. If they make promise to bring her (Sheikh Hasina) back to Bangladesh, then they wouldn't hesitate to do that," he warned.
"Democracy must be established in the country (Bangladesh). Our leader Tarique Rahman says that the struggle for restoring democracy (in the country) is yet to be over," said Shamsuzzaman Dudu.
He said that the ongoing struggle for establishing democracy will end when people of the country could cast their votes without fear and favour.
He also said that BNP and other political parties have extended their support to the interim government with an expectation that they (interim government) will be able to hold a free, fair and participatory national election within a logical time.
Shamsuzzaman Dudu added that people of the country couldn't cast their votes over the last 16 years and they would be disappointed if they saw uncertainty about holding the next election.
He thanked the interim government for providing financial supports to the families of the martyrs of the student-mass movement and those injured in the movement. He called upon the interim government to hold the national election without wasting much time (within a logical time).
President of the organisation KM Raqibul Islam presided over the event moderated by its acting general secretary Raju Ahmed.
Adviser to the BNP chairperson Habibur Rahman Habib, party's joint secretary general Imran Saleh Prince and organising secretary of Muktijoddah Dal Mia Mohammad Anwar were present, among others.
At another programme jointly organised by Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), Mr Shamsuzzaman Dudu demanded trial of the killings of journalists including journalist couple Sagar-Runi.
He said that Sagar-Runi were murdered during the Awami League regime led by Sheikh Hasina.
He also said that the interim government said that they would hold the trial of the journalist couple murder case.
The journalist leaders demand cancellation of all black laws against mass media, enacting laws to protect journalists and trial of killings of all journalists including journalist couple Sagar-Runi.
Secretary General of BFUJ Qader Gani Chowdhury pressed for the trial of murder of journalist couple Sagar-Runi.
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