ACC files appeal against party chief on PM's desire: BNP

A BNP senior leader alleged on Sunday the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed an appeal seeking harsher punishment for BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in a graft case only to fulfil the Prime Minister (PM)'s desire, reports UNB.

"The ACC has appealed for increasing our chairperson's punishment as it's working to fulfil the Prime Minister's desires," said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

The BNP leader made the comments while speaking at a press conference at party's Nayapaltan central office in the city.

He also alleged the current ACC chairman Iqbal Mahmud is working like an obedient son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to satisfy her wishes.

Earlier in the day, the ACC filed an appeal with the High Court seeking harsher punishment for BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case in which she was earlier sentenced to five years' imprisonment.

On February 8 last, the Dhaka Special Court-5 convicted the BNP chief and sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the case. She was then sent to old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in the city.

Meanwhile, BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Sunday alleged that Awami League has failed to have the international recognition for March 25 as Genocide Da.

"The West Pakistanis carried out the worst from of genocide on the Bangalees on the black night of March 25, 1971. But it's a matter of regret that those who're now in power and consider themselves as the only liberation force have failed to get its international recognition as genocide, even 47 years after the country's independence," he said.