Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir on Sunday said BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia must take the responsibility in case of any loss of life during the nationwide 48-hour shutdown called by the BNP-led 18-party alliance.
“The opposition leader must shoulder the responsibility if anyone dies during the hartal,” he said talking to reporters after a discussion marking the 93rd birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the National Press Club.
The minister came up with the strong remark in response to BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s recent comment that there may be more loss of lives (in the coming days). “We might face more losses, but we’ll have to take to the streets to save the country and its people,” she told a rally in Manikganj on Saturday.
Terming ‘illogical’ the countrywide March 18-19 hartal called by the 18-party alliance, MK Alamgir said frequent shutdowns inflict sufferings on people apart from hindering socioeconomic development of the country.
The opposition alliance will enforce the 48-hour shutdown to mount pressure on the government to release its leaders and activists arrested by police during a raid on BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
The Home Minister said the government will take ‘all-out’ measures to prevent the hartal in the interest of the common people, and mobile courts will discharge duties alongside the law enforcement agencies to immediately hand down punishment to anarchists during the shutdown.
Talking to the journalists, State Minister for Law advocate Quamrul Islam said, “The opposition leader has committed a serious offence as per law with her unguarded remarks. The way she commented it seems she has gone mad.”
On Khaleda’s remarks that Shahbagh protesters are atheists, Quamrul said, “Those who use the word ‘atheist’, they’re the real atheists.”UNB
