Condemning the submission of chargesheet against its chairperson Khaleda Zia in Jatrabari arson attack case, BNP on Wednesday alleged that the government has done it just to harass her.
In a statement, the party said, “We got stunned over the news of pressing chargesheets in a killing case filed with Jatrabari thana accusing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia. BNP thinks such cases are politically motivated.”
The party reaffirmed that no leader and activist of BNP had any involvement in subversive activities taken place during its movement. “BNP had earlier called for identifying the offenders of all the incidents of killing, enforced disappearances and sabotage through an impartial investigation led by the United Nations,” the statement reads.
It alleged that the government has resorted to the path of harassment by unilaterally pressing charges against Khaleda and other top leaders of the party alongside carrying out false propaganda against the party to tarnish its image.
“We want to unequivocally state that BNP is not a party that believes in capricious politics …it does politics only the democratic and constitutionally recognised process,” the party claimed.
Mentioning that the country’s foreign friends suggested confidence-building measures to resolve political crisis, BNP said they encouraged a path of dialogue and understanding with the government in a bid to hold the next election in a credible manner.
“We have no word to condemn the ruling party’s wrong notion with which it’s been advancing to annihilate the opposition out of vengeance. People are also wondered over it,” the party added.
The Detective Branch (DB) of police on Wednesday evening submitted charges against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 37 others in two cases filed over the Jatrabari arson attack on a bus during the BNP-led 20-party’s blockade on January 23.
DB sub-inspector Bashir Uddin submitted the chargesheets before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court in the two case one for killing and the other for hurling petrol bombs. – Unb
