BNP hits back at PM over her remarks on Zia, Khaleda

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday termed ‘unexpected, indecent and devoid of political etiquettes’ the Prime Minister’s statements in parliament about Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia and BNP.

“Sheikh Hasina’s statements as the Leader of the House were nothing but tasteless and cooked-up ones,” he said at a virtual press conference.

Fakhrul alleged that the Prime Minister tried to demean BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia with her ‘imaginary’ remarks in parliament on Saturday.

“The nation doesn’t expect such statements from the Leader of the Parliament. We think she’s set a bad example as the Leader of the House. We strongly condemn and protest her statements,” he observed.

The BNP leader said their party standing committee at a virtual meeting on Saturday condemned Law Minister Anisul Haq’s remark in parliament that Khaleda Zia has to first confess to her corruption offences and then applied to the President seeking clemency to go abroad for her treatment. “His comment is audacious and indecorous.”

“The meeting thinks Khaleda Zia has been convicted and sent to jail in false and fabricated cases out of political vengeance. She’s not even granted bail, though almost all the other accused of such charges got bail,” he said.

Fakhrul said Khaleda was temporarily shifted to her Gulshan residence from jail in March last year through an administrative directive following an application by her family. “There’s nothing mentioned in the laws that the government cannot allow her (Khaleda) to go abroad for treatment.”

He said it can never be acceptable that a three-time former prime minister cannot be allowed to go abroad for treatment on humanitarian grounds.