Khaled’s Party summons two-days public protest court verdict

NAYA PALTAN: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the two-day programme at a press briefing at the party’s central office at Naya Paltan immediately after the announcement of the court verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the two-day programme at a press briefing at the party’s central office at Naya Paltan immediately after the announcement of the court verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party said on Thursday that the verdict against party Chairperson Khaleda Zia will deepen the existing crisis in the country and push it towards greater uncertainty.

Rejecting the court verdict in what it terms a false case, the BNP announced nationwide two-day demonstrations which begin after Juma prayer on Feb 9, to protest against the court order that announced jail terms for party Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman.

Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said “We’ll hold demonstrations across the country, including Dhaka, on Friday and hold rallies on Saturday to protest against putting our leaders in prison in a false case. Further course of action will be declared later”.

He also said party leaders and activists would hold peaceful demonstrations in all cities, district towns and upazila headquarters as per the directive of Khaleda Zia.

“Our leader (Khaleda) has urged everyone to keep patience and register their protests peacefully. We’ve been told not to take up any hasty and imprudent programme,” he added.

“We need to sacrifice a lot to restore democracy in the country. Everyone must keep patience and carry out peaceful protest programmes,” he said.

Khaled’s lawyer

Moudud Ahmed, Khaleda’s lawyer and a standing committee member of the party, said that the trial and verdict were contrary to the constitutional provisions.

He also termed the verdict as unfortunate, saying, “Our law states that all trials should be held in public. But journalists were not allowed. Many lawyers were not allowed, let alone the people.”

Khaleda was taken to Central Jail on Nazimuddin Road from the special court-5 at Bakshi Bazar in Dhaka after the court sentenced her to five years’ jail in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Khaleda’s lawyers told reporters at the jail gate that the chairperson had urged the countrymen to have patience and keep their faith in her. The lawyers, who accompanied the former PM to the jail gate, also conveyed the BNP chief’s message to her followers.

Human Rights Watch warns

The Bangladesh government should stop the arbitrary arrests and detention of opposition BNP supporters and others, Human Rights Watch has said.

Hundreds have been arrested or placed under preventive detention ahead of the verdict in the graft case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and five others, including her son, the global rights group said in a statement on Thursday.

The government should publicly order the security forces to abide by international standards on policing demonstrations, it added.

Khaleda landed in the city’s old central jail yesterday afternoon after she was handed five-year imprisonment by a Dhaka court for misappropriating a donation fund.

BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and four others were jailed for 10 years with a fine of Tk 2.10 crore each in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

“The Bangladesh government is violating the rights to free expression and peaceful assembly by preventing opposition supporters from demonstrating,” said Brad Adams, HRW’s Asia director.

“While all political party leaders should warn their supporters against engaging in violence, it’s crucial for the government security forces to act with restraint at all times.

According to the statement, the security forces have arrested, tortured, killed, and forcibly disappeared hundreds in response to opposition supporters who have caused injuries and deaths and committed arson during demonstrations.

At a press conference in Dhaka on Wednesday, Khaleda accused the government of “false allegations to harass” her and her family but called on her supporters to be peaceful. “The ruling party [Awami League] has curbed the rights to protest, banned processions, in an administrative order as it is more frightened than we are over the verdict,” she said.

Rights group Ain o Salish Kendra said a total of 1,786 people have been rounded up in the last eight days. An opposition spokesman told HRW that thousands had been detained including members of BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and others not linked to any party.

Concerns have also been raised that AL and BNP supporters might provoke violence and target each other’s supporters, HRW said.

The rights group urged the government to publicly order the security forces to abide by the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms.

“The Bangladesh government’s claims to be open and democratic ring hollow as it cracks down on political dissent,” Adams said. “The government has a responsibility to prevent and minimize violence, but it needs to do so in a way that respects basic rights, not flouts them.”