Dhaka – Terming the verdict in the Chittagong arms haul case a farce, BNP on Friday alleged that those seized the arms have been punished, not the smugglers. “Unfortunately, those who seized the arms have been punished. It’s a farcical and politically-motivated verdict,” says BNP joint secretary general Rizvi Ahmed.
Rizvi who was released from the jail on Thursday came up with the remarks at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office. He also said the verdict in the arms haul case is part of government’s deep-rooted plot to malign BNP and make narrow political gains. It was the first reaction of the party since the verdict was pronounced.A Chittagong court on Thursday sentenced to death 14 people, including Jamaat-e-Islami ameer and war crimes accused Matiur Rahman Nizami and former BNP State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, in the sensational 10-truck arms smuggling case, after 10 years of the incident.
Earlier, BNP joint secretary general and Supreme Court Bar Association secretary Mahbub Uddin Khokan at a press briefing on Thursday declined to make any comment about the verdict.
Rizvi, however, said his party’s lawyers will come up with formal reaction to the verdict later. BNP’s key partner Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami also on Thursday termed the verdict politically motivated.
Addressing the briefing, Rizvi claimed that people gave no mandate to the current regime to run the state as they boycotted the January 5 voter-less one-sided elections.
“The Prime Minister had scrapped the caretaker government provision to hang onto power permanently. Now she is brandishing her sword staying in office without people’s mandate.”
Rizvi criticised the government for what he said trying to annihilate the opposition through extrajudicial killings.
“Many areas of the country have turned into killing grounds. The opposition leaders and activists are being killed in crossfire,” he alleged.
Calling upon all to raise voice against extrajudicial killings, Rizvi said if it continues for a long time people will lose their respect for the government and the rule of law. – UNB
