Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has criticised Prime Minister's (PM) comments on 15 absconding convicts in the 21st August grenade attack case, including the party's acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
"Some BNP leaders, including Tarique Rahman, are being implicated in the grenade attack case for political reason only. It is a planned conspiracy to tarnish the image of Tarique," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Alamgir said in a statement issued on Thursday.
He alleged that Tarique Rahman's name was included in the grenade attack case by appointing a like-minded (former) official as its investigation officer. The Awami League (AL) government did it after assuming power in 2009 just to weaken the nationalist force's strength and democracy.
The BNP secretary general noted that the name of Tarique was not included in the case during the 1/11 government even after two phases of investigation, and his name was not even in the charge-sheet.
"Implicating Tarique's name in the grenade attack case is just the outcome of this government's vengeance against BNP. The AL circle has been spreading falsehood against him for a long time. For this reason AL implicated his name in the case."
It is difficult for civilised people to live in Bangladesh with dignity due to absence of rule of law, Mr Fakhrul continued.
"If there were rule of law and good governance in the country, the looters and loan defaulters would have been tried."
He protested and condemned the government's threat to arrest Tarique Rahman, and said it was synonymous with declaring war against the country's people.
UNB adds: BNP Chairperson's Advisory Council Member Zainul Abdedin Farooque has alleged that former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, who reportedly amassed huge assets illegally, left the country with the help of the government.
"How did Benazir, the king of thieves and corruption, cross Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport without the government's help?" he said.
The BNP leader came up with the remarks while speaking at a human chain programme, organised by Ganotantra Forum in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the city on Thursday, demanding the arrest and trial of the ruling party leaders and corrupt officials, including Aziz Ahmed and Benazir Ahmed.
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