Demand for Khaleda's release absurd: Dipu Moni

FE Team | Published: June 20, 2018 22:29:03

SANGSAD BHABAN, June 20 (UNB): Treasury bench member Dr Dipu Moni termed on Wednesday absurd BNP's demand for releasing its chairperson Khaleda to ensure a participatory national election.
Taking part in general discussions on the proposed budget for the 2018-19 fiscal in Parliament, she also urged the government to take effective steps to bring BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman back home from the UK and confiscate all his 'ill gotten' vast assets.
"A quarter is putting a condition to release Khaleda Zia from jail for ensuring the participation of all parties in the next general election. Putting a condition to free a convict for an election is nothing but an absurd matter. It's also an unprecedented incident in the world."
Dipu Moni said Khaleda was not convicted in any political case. "She was convicted by the court for embezzling orphans' money."
She also said the BNP chief's lawyers could not prove in the court for over the last 10 years that she did not misappropriate orphans' money.
Referring to media reports, the ruling party MP said Tarique gave a statement of his huge wealth to the UK authorities when he sought asylum in the country. "He showed his source of income as casino business. This means he runs a gambling business."
After the Liberation War, she said Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman banned gambling and liquor in the country which was lifted by Ziaur Rahman. "Now his (Zia's) son's source of income is gambling."
Dipu Moni called upon the country's people not to allow the Zia family to do any gambling with their lot in the future.
She said Traique's wife and daughter also gave statements of their enormous wealth to the UK authorities while seeking asylum. "Different documents published by WikiLeaks and his wife and daughter's vast asset have proved Tarique amassed huge wealth through corruption."
Dipu Moni, a former foreign minister, urged the government to engage in talks with the UK government to bring Tarique back to recover people's wealth he amassed illegally.
She also called upon the UK government to take steps for repatriating a corrupt and patron of militant and terrorist like Tarique.
Participating in discussions on the proposed budget, Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif MP (Pabna-4) said the country could not properly progress due to the negative role of four traitors-- Mir Jafar Ali Khan, Gulam Azam, Khandakar Mushtaq Ahmed and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.
"They tried to endanger the country's independence and people through their various evil designs and policies."
He hailed the finance minister for placing a realistic budget which, he thinks, will reflect the people's hope and aspiration through its implementation.