Opposition BNP on Monday demanded proper treatment of its arrested senior leaders, including acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, as they are sick.“We call upon the government to immediately ensure the proper treatment of our arrested sick leaders. Take them to hospitals as per court orders,” BNP joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed said.
He came up with the demand at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Salahuddin informed reporters that Fakhrul and some other senior leaders, including Mirza Abbas and Abdullah Al Noman, sent to jail on Sunday are seriously ill.
Three courts in Dhaka on Sunday sent eight senior BNP leaders, including Mirza Fakhrul and Barrister Moudud, to jail in seven cases filed over the March 1 violence in the city.
Mentioning that the court directed the jail authorities to admit the ailing leaders to hospital soon as per their pleas, Salahuddin said, “No leader was taken to hospital till now (evening).”
He alleged that the opposition leaders and activist are being deprived of justice as the government utterly politicised the judiciary.
Accusing the Prime Minister of controlling every department of the state, the BNP leader said Sheikh Hasina has been demonstrating audacious behavior since she assumed office.
Salahuddin criticised the Home Minister for his directive to shoot at sight, and said the government has declared a war against people by engaging police to carry out mass killing.
The former state minister for communications urged the country’s people to make the 36-hour hartal of the 18-party alliance to be enforced at 6m Tuesday a success with their spontaneous participation.
He alleged that police and ruling party cadres were repressing the opposition leaders and activists centring the hartal.
The BNP leader said the government will not be able to resist their ongoing movement by killing and oppressing the opposition men and filing ‘false’ cases against them. “The more the government will repress us the harsher will be the movement.”
Taking to reporters at the conference, ex-Dhaka Bar Association president Sanaullah Miah said the lower court on Sunday asked the authorities concerned to send the seven senior BNP leaders, including Fakhrul, to Birdem Hospital.
Besides, the court also directed the authorities to admit BNP joint secretary general Amanullah Aman and Jubo Dal president Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal to BSMMU. “But the jail authorities are yet to implement the two orders,” he said. UNB
