Calling upon Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman to surrender in the money laundering case, Suranjit Sengupta, minister without portfolio, said on Friday that the government would not rob him of his political rights as he was a citizen of the country. “We will not bar Tarique Rahman’s democratic rights to do politics in the country. We don’t want to rob anybody of his or her political rights,” he said.
Sengupta made these remarks at a discussion meeting organised by Bangabandhu Academy at the Diploma Engineers Institute here.
“Tarique Rahman is a citizen of the country and a political leader. But the political leader must respect the laws of the land. If he wants to do politics, he has to show respect to the country’s existing laws,” he added. Sengupta called upon Tarique Rahman to surrender in connection with the money laundering case.
“Surrender in the money laundering case and then do politics. Do politics openly in the country, not by fleeing to another country,” he said.
He urged the Opposition to decide whether it would go along with the BNP and support the 13-point demands of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh (HIB) or stay with the liberation forces.
About the caretaker government (CG) system, he said, “Come to the dialogue table sans the demand for a CG system. We are always ready to talk.”
About the HIB programme on May 5, Sengupta said, “The HIB workers created obstructions and took millions of people hostage. The democratic government had no other option but to expel them.” He further said the democratic government cannot accept any subversive activities carried out under the pretext of organising a democratic programme.
“Those who want to hold any programme have to assure the government that if any subversive activities occur, the organisers will have to take full responsibility,” he added.
He also observed that the people have rejected hartals, blockades and sit-in like programmes because such programmes only cause suffering to the common people, and added that such programmes would not see the light of day in the future. Regarding the trial of Col. Taher, he said, “The verdict has exposed not only Moudud but also Major Zia.”
State minister for law Advocate Qamrul Islam, however, said the government would take legal action against Tarique Rahman since his recent speech in London about ousting the government was tantamount to a crime in the eyes of the law.
“Tarique Rahman, sitting in a foreign land, is hatching a conspiracy to oust the government. He is a fugitive accused and his speech is tantamount to a crime in the
eyes of the law. Legal action will be taken against him wherever he stays. The law will take its own course,” he added.
At another programme organised by Bangabandhu Sangkritik Jote at the Public Library auditorium, Qamrul Islam said Tarique Rahman would be brought back by Interpol as he is a fugitive accused.
“The police arrested Tarique on charges of money laundering,
the grenade attack
on August 21, and
corruption.
He left the country on parole and is now spreading lies about the country’s politics. He is a fugitive and as an accused, he cannot talk like this,” he added.
-With The Independent input
