Govt wants good ties with Hefajat: Moudud

The government is trying to be on good terms with Hefajat-e-Islam, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said yesterday, and called the ruling party an opportunist.

The attempt, however, would not bring any result, he added, while speaking at a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, marking party founder Ziaur Rahman's 36th death anniversary.

Moudud said the government was staging a drama over removal of the statue of Lady Justice. “This drama is for votes," he said.  Addressing the same programme, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called upon the government to withdraw all cases and not to file fresh cases against its leaders and activists to create a level playing field for all in the next general election.

“You will participate in the election and we will observe that from the court premises -- this type of election is not going to happen in the country,” he said. “Of course, we want election, but that has to be meaningful and participatory.”