The main opposition BNP has assailed the government for passing Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2013 in the parliament, saying the ruling Awami League wants to root out opposition party politics from the country using the act. “Opposition party men will be harassed deliberately due to the adverse impact of the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2013. Peoples’ constitutional rights have been snatched by incorporating the act,” BNP standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Mia observed.
It may be pointed out that the parliament on Tuesday passed the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill-2013 into Act through voice vote. The act will allow the court to accept videos, still photos and audio clips from online social media as evidence.
Police will now be able to instantly start investigation into and file a case against any crime supposed to have been committed under this law.
Expressing grave concern over the government’s move, Mia said the anti-terrorism bill will be misused and the government will use the law as tools to eliminate anti-government politics from the country.
“Rule of law will never be established in the country by this law. Criminal activities will never be rooted-out but the opposition party politics will be destroyed by the law,” he opined.
He also came down heavily on the Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran and said false statement has been given by him over ongoing killing incident at the Indo-Bangla border area. “Pankaj Saran has made a false statement when two Bangladeshi people were killed on bordering area by Border Security Forces (BSF) on Wednesday. Such type of falsehood has to be rejected by the government in the interest of the country’s sovereign existence,” he added.
At a discussion meeting on Wednesday in Dhaka, a questioner was retorted that border killings occurred in April and May this year and two people were killed just today (Wednesday) but Pankaj said, “I knew that no border killings had taken place in the last six months.”
Holding the government responsible for indulging in Indian aggression on Bangladesh, Mia said the government should believe in friendly relationship with foreign countries instead of foreign father. He also said the government is pushing the country towards undeclared one-party BKSAL rule. A tougher movement will be enforced immediately in the interest of democratic continuation. “Democracy has been held hostage by the ruling Awami League. Awami League is running the country following its previous BKSAL rule in the garb of democracy,” BNP standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Mia said on Thursday afternoon.
He was addressing a discussion meeting on ‘multi-party democracy and Ziaur Rahman’ organised by Agamir Bangladesh at the National Press Club.
Mia said country’s rule of law and law and order is being jeopardised as the ruling party men have indulged in corruption and terrorism. The next general election cannot be held under the supervision of the present cabinet, he added.
“The ruling Awami League will face severe setback in the next general election. In order to avert the consequence, it is planning to hold the next general election under its own management,” he said.
BNP leaders Ahmed Azam and others spoke at the function with Shah Alam president of the pro-BNP platform in the chair.
-With The Independent input
