Demand for Khaleda's release absurd

The parliament's treasury bench member Dr Dipu Moni yesterday termed absurd BNP's demand for releasing its chairperson Khaleda Zia, for ensuring a participatory national election.

Taking part in general discussions on the proposed budget for the 2018-19 fiscal in the parliament, she also urged the government to take effective steps to bring BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman back home from the UK, and confiscate all his 'ill gotten' vast assets.

“A quarter is putting a condition to release Khaleda Zia from jail for ensuring the participation of all parties in the next general election. Putting a condition to free a convict for an election is nothing but an absurd matter. It's also an unprecedented incident in the world,” she said.

Dipu Moni said Khaleda was not convicted in any political case. “She was convicted by the court for embezzling orphans' money.”

She also said the BNP chief's lawyers could not prove in the court for over the last 10 years that she did not misappropriate orphans' money.

Dipu Moni, a former foreign minister, urged the government to engage in talks with the UK government to bring Tarique back to recover people's wealth he amassed illegally.