BNP reiterates sedition case against Khaleda for diverting public attention

BNP Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed yesterday alleged that the government recently filed a sedition case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to divert public attention from the issue that former chief justice (CJ) ABM Khairul Haque's signing of the judgement scrapping the caretaker government system past his retirement, as per the present CJ, was unconstitutional.

He was addressing a human chain organised by Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal in front of the capital's Jatiya Press Club.

The case was filed on January 25 by Momtaz Uddin Ahmad Mehedi, a Supreme Court (SC) lawyer and member of Awami League's central committee, with the home ministry's approval.

In it, he alleged that Khaleda at a December 21 programme last year said, “There are controversies over exactly how many were martyred in the Liberation War. There are also many books and documents on the controversies”.

Rizvi also lambasted Law Minister Anisul Huq, saying his January 26 comment contradicting the CJ's remark on writing verdicts after retirement was a misinformation.

Meanwhile, at another programme in Jatiya Press Club, BNP Standing Committee Member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman said Bangladesh was experiencing an unprecedented crisis, especially over the law and order situation, for the absence of democracy.

“No one feels safe,” he said, terming police's present role authoritarian.