The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Saturday staged protests across the country against the warrant issued for arrest of its senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman in the August 21 grenade attack case.
A Dhaka court on Thursday issued the arrest warrant against Tarique Rahman, also the eldest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, and 11 others in the August 21 grenade attack case filed under the explosive substances act.
As part of the protest programme, Dhaka city unit of BNP held a rally in front of its Naya Paltan central office with Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka in the chair.
Terming the warrant ‘politically motivated’, acting BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, ‘The warrant against Tarique Rahman is nothing but a reflection of the government’s fear of Zia family.’
He said, ‘Failing to implement its election pledges, the government has resorted to repression on the opposition leaders and activists in a bid to divert the people’s attention.’
‘Tarique has been made the target by the ruling Awami League as he is the symbol of a politics that propagates democracy and upholds the country’s sovereignty and integrity,’ he claimed.
He also alleged that the government was plotting to bar Tarique Rahman from contesting the next general elections so as to pave the way for establishing one-party rule.
Fakhrul accused the government of ‘mutilating the constitution by bringing about the 15th amendment to the charter.
‘Ignoring the opinions of dignified personalities with whom the parliamentary special committee for constitution amendment held dialogues, the Awami League-led government changed the constitution unilaterally,’ he alleged.
Fakhrul renewed his party’s call for waging a strong movement to unseat the AL-led ‘fascist’ government.
BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed alleged that the then opposition, Awami League, did not cooperate with the BNP-led government in finding out the perpetrators of the August 21 grenade attack.
‘Cases are being filed and arrest warrants are issued against the members of Zia family to destroy the nationalist forces,’ he said.
Moudud, also a former law minister, said the government did not accept the first 14 charge sheets on the August 21 grenade attack as the name of Tarique Rahman was not included in them.
Earlier, at an exchange of views with the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Welfare Front, Mirza Fakhrul alleged that Awami League had betrayed the people by keeping ‘secularism’ alongside ‘Bismillah’ and ‘Islam as state religion’ in the constitution.
The meeting was held at Victory Hotel at Naya Paltan in the city.
New Age correspondents in different districts, including in Rajshahi, Bogra, Kurigram, Sylhet, Feni, Munshiganj, Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong reported that local units of BNP had taken out processions and held rallies as part of the party’s central programme in protest at the arrest warrant against Tarique.
Our Kurigram correspondent reported that the local unit of BNP had brought out a procession and held a rally in protest against the ‘false’ case and arrest warrant against Tarique.
-With New Age input
