BNP on Thursday described Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s statement in parliament about siphoning off money abroad by the Zia family and party senior leaders as ‘false, baseless and politically motivated one’.
“The Prime Minister told parliament that investigations are on into the allegation of laundering money by the Zia family members and BNP senior leaders. Her comment is totally false, baseless, fabricated, ridiculous and defamatory. We think she’s made the remark with a heinous political motive. We strongly protest and condemn it,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, he also alleged that the Prime Minister and the ministers are spreading lies to hush up the government’s failure to tackle Rohingya crisis by misleading people. “They’re out to divert people’s attention to a different direction from burning issues and create a new issue.”
The BNP secretary general said the Prime Minister is resorting to ‘lies’ also to hide her government’s failure to establish good governance, face post-flood situation, repair rundown roads, reduce rice price and strengthen economy. “We would like to say people will one day come up with a befitting reply to such falsehood.”
Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told parliament that the government is investigating the alleged money-laundering by the members of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s family, saying that appropriate actions will be taken against them accordingly.
“After investigation, we’ll surely take steps to bring the money back based on the information that where and how it went out from the country,” she said while replying to a supplementary question of Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam during PM’s question-answer session in parliament.
Protesting her comment, Fakhrul said where the country’s people will go to get the right information if the Prime Minister ‘lies’ in parliament.
He threw a challenge that the government will not be able to present any document and proof about ‘false’ information the Prime Minister gave in parliament about ‘imaginary assets’ of BNP leaders.
The BNP leader urged the government to refrain from spreading lies about BNP leaders and Zia family. “The false statements were made only to tarnish the image of our chairperson and BNP leaders. We call upon (the PM) to offer apology for such falsehood.”
Fakhrul said ‘Bangla Insider’ online news portal is the main source of information presented by Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam in parliament. “The online portal said they collected those from Global Intelligence Network, but we didn’t find any such information searching its website.”
He claimed that all the information given by the news portal about BNP leaders’ assets is fabricated and absurd. “It mentioned Khaleda Zia’s late sister Khurshid Jahan Haque had an apartment in Emirates Hills’ and her daughter Hasina Jahan has recently got its ownership. The fact is that Kurshid Jahan had no daughter.”
The BNP leader said the news portal claimed that Hasina Jahan is BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed’s wife which is totally false. “Their entire news story is made based on concocted information.”
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the news item was run as part of a new plot against BNP. “It’s told in parliament that I’ve a share in a hotel in Singapore. Even, I didn’t hear its name earlier, let alone becoming its shareholder.”
He said all the information also given in parliament about Khaleda, Tarique, Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas and others is also false. “It’s a move to misguide people and BNP leaders and activists.”
Speaking at the programme, another BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy alleged that police barred a preparatory programme for celebrating upcoming Durga Puja at his Keraniganj residence on Tuesday. “The attack on a peaceful programme by police has demonstrated once again that there is no rule of law in the country.”
He demanded the government ensure punishment of those involved in the incident.
