Leaders like me will be eliminated: Mirza Abbas in court  

BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas said in court that leaders like him will be eliminated. He expressed concerns that Bangladesh might eventually be left without political leaders, reaching a day when there are no true political leaders. 

The senior BNP leader said this when the police produced him before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, and requested a five-day remand to question him in connection with a case related to the killing of a policeman during the violence surrounding the BNP's grand rally on 28 October.

Mirza Abbas, who was arrested on Tuesday night, was transported to the court in a Detective Police (DB) van at around 12:00 noon on Wednesday. He was taken from the jail to the courtroom at 2:30 pm.  

During the court proceedings, lawyers presented arguments both in favour of and against placing Mirza Abbas on remand. At one point, Mirza Abbas, who was seated in the courtroom, stood up and requested to address the court. Judge Shafi Uddin then granted permission for the BNP leader to speak.

Mirza Abbas then proceeded to the podium and began speaking. He said, "Honorable court, I have been involved in politics for 50 years. BNP was founded under my leadership. I have participated in numerous political activities throughout my life, including bringing down the Ershad regime. I have been engaged in protests for the past 15 years. Honorable court, have you ever witnessed such chaos?"

He continued, "Leaders like me are at risk of elimination, and there may come a day when Bangladesh will be left without leaders, devoid of true leadership."

Mirza Abbas also stated, "Honorable court, I have made these statements for future reference. I do not wish to predict what may transpire, but the nation could potentially find itself without effective leadership."  

Earlier, Mirza Abbas's lawyer, Mosleh Uddin Jasim, raised a complaint in the court regarding Mirza Abbas's age being incorrectly mentioned as 53 years in the case documents. In response, Mirza Abbas informed the court, "I am a freedom fighter, and I am currently 74 years old. I am unaware of what the police have written."

Chief Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu argued in favour of Mirza Abbas's remand application in the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court.

He informed the court that on 28 October, the BNP had incited chaos in Naya Paltan under the guise of a rally, causing property damage. A policeman had tragically lost his life after being brutally beaten. They engaged in acts of terrorism and arson.

Abdullah Abu also conveyed to the court, "Movements should be non-violent, but the actions undertaken by the BNP in the name of a rally that day appear to be nothing short of a significant conspiracy.” 

Following the hearing, the court approved a five-day remand for Mirza Abbas.