PM slams BNP for backing Jamaat hartal
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said by extending its support to Jamaat's hartal, the BNP has proved once again that it does not want the trial of war criminals.
“By extending their support in principle to today's hartal, BNP leader [Khaleda Zia] has proved again that they want to free the war criminals,†she said while addressing a meeting of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance at Gono Bhaban in the capital.
Hasina said it is very usual that the BNP would try its best to save the war criminals as it had given them national flags by making them ministers after 2001 election.
"Is there anything more shameful than giving support to the Jamaat-Shibir, who killed thousands of people and acted to eliminate intellectuals just before the surrender of the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971?†she questioned.
The premier also said Jamaat-Shibir's parent party is the BNP and its main task is to resist the government from holding the war crimes trial.
She reiterated that the trial of war criminals must be held in the soil of the country as it is the demand of the people who has given the Awami League (AL) government a mandate to try them.
Hasina said whatever the verdict comes from the trial, it would be implemented, and Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, would not be able to stop the trial by killing people and attacking the law enforcers.
The premier also thanked the people who had built up resistance against Jamaat-Shibir at some places across the country during yesterday's hartal.
She urged the countrymen to build up united resistance against Jamaat-Shibir so that they could not attack people and foil the war crimes trial.
Hasina said the International Crimes Tribunal, where the war crimes trial is being held, has a special provision of making appeal.
Whereas no other court in the world where such kind of trial was held had the appeal provision, she added.
Workers' Party President Rashed Khan Menon said the BNP-Jamaat has been conspiring to foil the war crimes trial at a time when the trial is going to a successful direction.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu said time has come to take a political decision to root out the fundamentalist forces from the country and safeguard democracy.
Other 14-party leaders including Syed Ashraful Islam, Enamul Haque spoke at the meeting.
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