Razzak questions neutrality of caretaker govt

FE Team | Published: August 21, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Awami League (AL) presidium member Abdur Razzak has questioned the neutrality of the caretaker government saying that remarks of a number of advisers have made them controversial.
"The comments made by one or two advisers have recently raised questions about the neutral stance of the caretaker government," he told three private television stations at his Nakhalpara residence in the city Monday, reports bdnews24.com.
The AL leader said the makeshift government appeared to be bent on fixing only his party and the BNP.
The senior AL leader alleged that the government had acted against alleged corruption by the leaders of the two major political parties.
But it had taken no steps against former coalition government partner Jamaat-e-Islami despite having specific allegations of corruption against its leaders.
"The nation expects the caretaker government to be neutral in running the state affairs. It will be accountable to history if it loses impartiality," he said.
Asked why there had been no action against Jamaat over corruption, Razzak said, "It's not one or two of them, rather the entire political party can be accused of countless atrocities and graft."
He said Jamaat cannot shirk the responsibility of the crimes that the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's family committed by smuggling out Tk 210 billion.
He said Jamaat endorsed every single decision executed by the BNP in the recent past.
"Jamaat is associated with at least 14 militant organisations," he alleged.
He demanded a thorough inquiry into the simultaneous countrywide bomb blasts of August 17, 2005 and said the BNP-Jamaat alliance was behind all the anti-state activities.
Almost all the leaders and workers of the Islamist outfit Jamaatul Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) who had been arrested confessed to their involvement with Jamaat or its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir at some point.
Razzak accused Jamaat of attempting to put the country under dictatorial rule doing away with democracy.
He demanded the August 21, 2004 grenade attack launched in front of the AL central office be investigated properly and the perpetrators punished for the sake of democracy and healthy politics.
Razzak said foreign expertise could be utilised to professionally probe the terrorist attacks.