Khaleda, her family members’ appeal for withdrawing cases against them

BNP ready for massive gathering at Paltan
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her family members on Thursday submitted three separate applications to the government for withdrawing 20 cases filed against them by the last caretaker government.
Khaleda Zia sat in a separate meeting with the two leaders last Monday and Tuesday as there are conflicts between them for dominating the Dhaka city unit of BNP.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has taken massive preparations to make the grand rally a success scheduled to be held on May 2 at Paltan Maydan marking the International May Day. The party already started postering and miking. Leaders and activists continue series of meeting aiming to make the rally a massive gathering.
Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia asked party leaders to make the grand rally a success avoiding all internal conflicts. She called on two influential leaders at Dhaka city unit Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka and Mirza Abbas and directed them to take necessary steps.
A senior leader of the party told this correspondent yesterday that Chairperson asked them to work together forgetting differences of opinion. The decision regarding Dhaka city BNP will be taken after the grand rally.
Joint secretary general and also president of Jatiyatabadi Sromik Dal, Nazrul Islam Khan told reporters about preparation of the rally, “The preparation is going on in a full swing. We do hope that we will be able to gather huge number of people to protest government activities.”
Replying to another query he said that the party reorganization process is going on. “We want to hold council within the Election Commission’s time frame. If it is not possible, we will apply to the EC for extending the time frame,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that after the party’s debacle of December 29, 2008 general elections, it will be the party’s major rally, where the party chief Begum Khaleda Zia is expected to address as a chief guest.
In the applications, they mentioned that the cases were filed against them on political motivation or political harassment.
Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, a lawmaker and counsel for Khaleda, yesterday submitted the applications to the District Magistrate of Dhaka Zillar Rahman on behalf of the BNP chief and her two sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko.
Of the 20 cases, four were filed against Khaleda Zia. These are: GATCO, NIKO, Zia Orphanage Trust and Barapukurai Coalmine Project, 11 against Tarique Rahman including extortion, amassing illegal wealth and tax evasion and five against Arafat Rahman Koko.
Meanwhile, former law minister Moudud Ahmed’s petitions were submitted for withdrawing six cases, Khaleda’s younger brother Shamim Isknader and his wife for one case each, Tarique’s wife Dr Zobaida Rahman and her mother Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, Koko’s two brothers-in-law Mostakim Reza and Mostakin Reza also filed similar applications to the DM for withdrawal of the cases against them.
Sources said that DM Zillar Rahman would send those petitions to the Home Ministry after a review as per the process set by the government.
Earlier, Prime Minister Hasina submitted application for withdrawal of 10 cases filed against her by the last caretaker government.
It may be mentioned here that the government in February had announced a review committee to revoke cases filed under previous governments including the 2007-2008 caretaker government for harassment of politicians.

Courtesy of The Bangladesh Today