The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Thursday alleged that the ruling Bangladesh Awami League and its cohorts are committing target killings across the country in a bid to perpetuate its power. “It’s regrettable that a police officer’s wife has been killed and the reason behind it is still unclear… Awami League and its accomplices are involved in the killings. The mystery behind the murders will be debunked if they (ruling party men) are booked and quizzed,” said Khaleda while speaking at a discussion-cum-iftar party in the capital. A day after prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s accusation against BNP and its Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami of their involvement in the recent murders, the BNP chief came up with the counter allegation. A pro-BNP lawyers’ forum, Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, arranged the programme at Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium, marking the 35th death anniversary of BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman.

Khaleda urged the chief justice and the all the judges and lawyers to take steps to help ensure the rule of law, justice and punishment to the offenders in the country.

Mentioning that the ruling party men are plundering public money and torturing people, she said, “Hasina (PM) thinks she’ll be able to hang onto power by suppressing people by resorting to killings and enforced disappearances, repressive acts and using the police and RAB. But, people’s back are now pushed against the wall.”

The BNP chief alleged that the country’s people now do not believe that the judiciary and the judges are now independent as the ruling party and the opposition are getting different treatment in courts.

She claimed that though the ruling party men remain out of touch after committing crimes, the opposition ones are being implicated in ‘false’ cases and arrested and then remanded.

Stating that prime minister Sheikh Hasina has withdrawn all the 15 graft cases against herself, Khaleda said the government is harassing her by holding the trials of ‘false’ cases against her.

She claimed that though she had no involvement in Niko graft, its trial is going on to harass her. “Whatever was done was done by Hasina in Niko episode. I didn’t do anything in this regard. So, if the trial of the Niko case continues, Hasina must be implicated in it.”

Khaleda also said they have information and evidence about how Hasina misappropriated Bangabandhu Memorial Trust’s funds. “Hasina will surely be punished if there is a fair trial.”

Source: News Agency UNB