BNP leaders tight-lipped over Sayedee verdict

Maintaining their party's no-comment policy over verdicts against war criminals, BNP leaders Wednesday were tight-lipped about the Supreme Court (SC) judgment jailing unto death their alliance partner Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee for his crimes against humanity, reports UNB.

Contacted, senior BNP leaders declined to make any comment on the verdict, saying they should not say anything about the judgement of the country's apex court.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday commuted Sayedee's death penalty to imprisonment until death for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

On February 28, 2013, the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1 condemned Sayedee to death for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War, acquitting him of a dozen of the charges.

BNP has made no comment, officially or unofficially, on the verdicts so far delivered by the SC and the International Crimes Tribunals (ICTs).

Though the party leaders after every verdict had said they would officially come up with their reactions, but that did not happen.

A BNP leader wishing anonymity said their party has been avoiding from giving reactions to the verdicts as BNP has questions over the formation of the International Crimes Tribunals and neutrality of the trial process.

Approached, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, who is also the party office secretary, said he did not get any instruction from the BNP high-ups to give any reaction of the party to it.

He also said it will be their personal opinions if the party leaders give any reaction to the verdict.

BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman said, "There's no scope for making any comment on the matter as it's the final judgment of the country's apex court."