BNP counters with corruption allegations against Hasina

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Thursday started distributing leaflets challenging the merit of convicting party chairperson Khaleda Zia in what it called as "imaginary, concocted and politically motivated" case.

Furthermore, the principal opposition party argued, cases against the Awami League president, prime minister Sheikh Hasina that involved Tk 150 billion were quashed once she assumed office.

The BNP leaders distributed leaflets that tried to highlight 'innocence' of Khaleda Zia and graft charges put forward against Sheikh Hasina by the military-controlled caretaker government.

The BNP's senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi launched the programme in front of the party's Naya Paltan central office around 10:15am. There was strong presence of the police then.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir could not join it due to illness of his mother.

BNP party leaders also distributed leaflets all over the country, demanding their chairperson's release, Rizvi told newsmen.

The opposition party has been observing peaceful demonstration progrmmes since BNP chief Khaleda Zia was sentenced to five years in jail in Zia Orphanage Trust case on 8 February.

"Cases of corruption involving Tk 15,000 crore (150 billion) against Sheikh Hasina were quashed/dismissed as against sentencing of Begum Khaleda Zia in baseless case with ulterior motive," reads the leaflet.

It pointed out that the two key judges who were involved in the process of quashing the cases against Sheikh Hasina, were former Gopalganj Awami League leader Shamsul Huda and former UK AL leader Shamsuddin Ahmed Manik.

"Sheikh Mujibur Rahman too was awarded two years of imprisonment and fined Tk 5,000 in a corruption case in 1960."

Referring to the contents of the leaflets, Rizvi said, they stated how their chairperson has been 'subjected to injustice'.

The BNP leader said the party will continue its peaceful demonstration programmes.

The party held countrywide demonstration on Monday demanding Khaleda's release and protesting at the police action during its recent black-flag showing programme.

It also organised human-chain, sit-in demonstration, token hunger-strike and protest rally in four phases, after conviction of Khaleda Zia.

Read more: Look at your own corruption, Fakhrul asks Hasina