Charge sheet against Tarique \\\'false\\\', reiterates BNP

FE Team | Published: August 28, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

BNP described the charges pressed against party senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman in connection with Gazipur arson attack as a conspiratorial cook-and-bull-story and alleged the government has exposed its vendetta against the Zia family through the 'imaginary charge sheet,' reports UNB.
The party also alleged that the 'false and imaginary' charge sheet was given against its senior vice chairman only to divert people's attention to a different direction from the government's misdeeds, the conflict between the ruling party and its alliance and serious slide in the law and order situation.
"People the day before yesterday (Tuesday) heard a cook-and-bull-story on televisions and read about it in different newspapers. They did not believe such a story as they trash the cooked-up stories made after carrying out extrajudicial killings in the name of crossfire," said BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan.
Despite that, he continued, "At the behest of the government, its officials are making evil efforts to pollute politics, malign the political leaders and confuse people."
Nazrul, a party standing committee member, brought the allegation at a press conference at BNP chairperson's Gulshan office. He read out a written statement at the programme.
Senior BNP leaders held the press conference to give the party's formal reaction to the charge sheet against Tarique Rahman in a Gazipur violence case.
BNP standing committee members Barrister Moudud Ahmed, ASM Hannan Shah, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, vice chairmen Shah Moazzem Hossain, Abdullah Al Noman, Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yousuf, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Selima Rahman and BNP joint secretary general M Shahjahan were, among others, present at the press conference.
On Tuesday, Gazipur police pressed charges against 32 BNP-Jamaat men, including BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, in a case filed in connection with an arson attack carried out in the district on January 21 this year during the hartal and blockade programme enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
Reacting to the charge sheet, Nazrul questioned how Tarique, son of former President Ziaur Rahman and ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and also the senior vice chairman of the largest party like BNP, can be an unidentified accused when his name was not there in the FIR of the case filed in connection with the incident.
Nazrul also termed the allegation against Tarique false, fabricated and vengeful. "We strongly condemn it and demand the government withdraw it immediately."
He also urged the government to refrain from filing "false, imaginary, conspiratorial and vengeful" cases against opposition leaders and activists.