BNP demands UN probe into subversive acts during its movement

BNP demanded Saturday an international probe under the UN’s supervision into the subversive acts carried out during the blockade and hartal enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance in the first three months of this year to identify the real perpetrators.

Giving his party’s reaction to the Prime Minister’s remark that a tribunal to be formed to try Khaleda Zia for indulging in subversive acts, BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon came up with the demand at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

He said, “We’ve long been demanding an international investigation into the allegations raised by the Prime Minister and her government regarding the violence. We’re renewing our demand following the Prime Minister’s recent comment on it.” Justifying their demand for the international probe, Ripon said, “The government is blaming BNP and its chairperson Khaleda Zia for the supervise acts while we’re claiming BNP did not do it and we have no connection with it.” Under the circumstances, he said, “We want an international probe committee to be formed under the United Nations’ supervision to identify the real culprits as we can’t expect a fair and neutral investigation by any government probe body or agency.” On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Parliament said, “There’s a provision under section-27 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 for constituting anti-terrorism tribunals. The government has planned to set up such tribunals in line with the provision,” according to a news agency