BNP blasts PM's remarks over trial of war crimes

FE Team | Published: April 08, 2010 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Main opposition BNP said Wednesday that the Prime Minister's recent "irresponsible" remarks involving the party and Saudi Arabia over the trial of war crimes could deteriorate Bangladesh's relation with friendly country Saudi Arabia, reports UNB.
Addressing a press briefing at the party's central office in the noon,
BNP senior joint secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir strongly protested and condemned the Prime Minister's comment, saying that they did not expect such "irresponsible" remarks from the head of the government.
He said that the PM's remarks were harmful not only to BNP but to the nation as well.
Alamgir said the remarks might harm the Bangladeshi expatriates working in Saudi Arabia. Over 2.0 million Bangladeshi workers have been living in the Kingdom.
He also condemned and protested the Prime Minister's recent speech in parliament using "unparliamentary language" and making "untrue" statement.
The BNP leader said the Prime Minister herself had resorted to "political stunt" by shifting the blame of the government's failure to the opposition.
He said that the government had extended the period of Speedy Trial Act by two years to "fully unleash repression" on the opposition.
"Awami League had once termed this very law as a black law."
On the upcoming Bhola-3 by-election, he alleged that there was no congenial atmosphere of election in the constituency, which was marked by the ruling party's terrorism and attack on local BNP leaders and workers.
Alamgir strongly demanded of the Election Commission (EC) to immediately create a congenial atmosphere in the constituency, saying that otherwise they apprehended that the election would not be free, fair and impartial.
He reiterated BNP's demand for deploying army in Bhola-3 parliamentary constituency much ahead of the by-election scheduled for April 24.
Replying to a question about the roadmap of electricity production as stated by the Prime Minister in parliament, the BNP senior joint secretary general said the government would fail to implement its target of power generation as it had no preparation yet.
He said according to the election manifesto of Awami League they set the target to generate 7,000 mw of electricity by 2013.
BNP leaders Amanullah Aman, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Zainul Abdin Farroque MP, Fazlul Huq Milon, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu and Shafiul Bari Babu were also present at the press briefing.
Another report adds: Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque said BNP would have to think afresh about its joining the next budget session in June in view of what he called the Prime Minister's 'untrue and unparliamentarian' words during the just-ended parliament session, reports UNB.
Zainul made the remarks at a press briefing at BNP's central office Wednesday noon. He said the BNP Parliamentary Party meeting would take the final decision about their joining the budget session.
On April 4, the BNP MPs led by Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia walked out of the House, as their plea for withdrawing the bill on increasing salary and allowances of MPs was not accepted.
They argued that the bill was placed at a time when the people were facing crises of electricity, water and gas.
The BNP MPs who returned to parliament on February 11 after about 10 months' abstention did not turn up to the session on April 5, the last day of the 4th session of the present parliament.