The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has termed the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC’s) move to issue a warrant of arrest against party senior vice president Tarique Rahman to bring him back to the country from UK as a politically motivated one.
BNP Chairperson’s adviser Shamsuzzaman Dudu made the comment hours after a Dhaka Judge Court on Sunday ordered to issue a warrant of arrest to bring back Tarique Rahman, now undergoing treatment in the UK, to the country after arresting him by Interpol.
Addressing a hurriedly called press briefing at the party’s central office in the afternoon, the BNP leader said the ACC decision based on a “false case” filed by the opponent by dropping the allegations against ruling party on embezzling crores of Taka from share market, Hallmark and Padma Bridge scam reflects the statement of State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam which was made two days ago.
“It cannot be termed anything but a politically motivated case if the past and present activities are evaluated,” he added.
Tarique Rahman, who was arrested in a corruption case after 1/11 changeover, went to London on September 11 in 2008 for treatment.
Shamsuzzaman Dudu said Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of late president Ziaur Rahman and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia, has lawfully been staying in London for treatment by taking bail from the higher court. All things are going on lawfully, he added.
The BNP leader alleged that the government considers the matter with a narrow political end.
“We want to clarify that if the government wants to politicise it we will fight it politically and we will face it legally if the government takes it lawfully,” he said.
Dudu said when the election process has turned into a big fiasco and the government has been talking about dialogues, the government has now brought forward the allegation against Tarique Rahman.
He mentioned that the present Prime Minister and AL leaders late Abdul Jalil, Abdur Razzak and Mohammad Nasim were also implicated in corruption cases during the caretaker government. The present government withdrew all cases filed by the ACC against ruling party leaders but no case filed against opposition leaders including Tarique Rahman, has been withdrawn, he added.
Meanwhile, BNP Chairperson’s adviser Shamsuzzaman Dudu on Sunday warned that the 18-party opposition alliance will resist any government effort to hold the next election without formation of a non-party caretaker government.
“Without non-party government, the 18-party alliance will neither join any election nor allow holding of such polls in the country,” he said while briefing reporters at party headquarters at Naya Paltan in the city.
Criticising the Prime Minister’s Saturday’s remark that there will be no Magura-Mirpur-like election, the BNP spokesperson said that she (PM) has to clarify whether she wants to hold a Sheikh Mujib-like election of 1973 or Bhola-like poll.
“You (Prime Minister) said there’ll be no Magura-like election. But you were in movement demanding the caretaker government system after the Magura polls and you demanded a provision in the Constitution regarding the CG,” he added.
-With The Independent input
