Awami League presidium member Fazlul Karim Selim on Monday demanded holding the trial of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for her alleged involvement in crimes before the January 5 general elections.
“Khaleda should be tried in the ICT for killing people before the last parliamentary polls. I will request the law minister to look into the matter,” he said while speaking in Parliament on thanks-giving motion on the address of the President.
He alleged that the motive of Khaleda’s movement before the January 5 elections was to topple the government to foil the trial of war criminals.
He said the BNP is not a political party rather it is a party of criminals as they are involved in all major crimes occurred in the country.
The former minister alleged that Ziaur Rahman did not established the multi-party democracy in the country but he established the anti-liberation forces in the name of multi-party democracy.
He questioned the legitimacy of the BNP saying that when the court declared the rule of Ziaur Rahman illegal his party can be treated as legal one.
Selim alleged that Zia had issued the indemnity ordinance following the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman just to save him.
He outright rejected the possibility to hold a midterm election saying that the 10th Parliament election was in accordance with the constitution and no election would be held a day before the ending of the tenure of the present parliament by January 2019.
“It does not matter as to which party took part in the polls,” he said justifying that no fresh poll is held in Afghanistan or in Nepal if taleban and moist do not take part in it.
He said Khaleda decided to take part in upazila parishad elections losing her ground even she termed the present government illegal.
Selim reiterated the government would continue trials of war criminals even a single war criminal exits in the country.
He called upon the USA, EU and the UN secretary general to cooperate Bangladesh government in sending back the killers of Bangabandhu.
Jatiya Party lawmaker AKM Maidul Islam suggested the government to resolve water crisis on priority basis and said the country would turn into a greater desert if the water crisis is not resolved.
He emphasized the need to ensure water flow in the Brahmaputra river to maintain water flow in other rivers in the country.
The JP leader demanded the government to shift industries outside Dhaka to ease the livelihood of the female workers.
AL lawmakers–ABM Tajul Islam and Simin Hossain Rimi and Workers Party MP Tipu Munshi, among others, also took part in the discussion. – Staff Reporter
