Leaders say BNP doesn’t want to be bracketed with Jamaat

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's allegation that the BNP and Jamaat have links to the recent murders of two foreigners is “totally baseless”, said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir last night.

Talking to The Daily Star, Fakhrul came down heavily on the premier for bracketing Jamaat with BNP.

“There is no reason behind bracketing Jamaat with BNP as we are totally two different political parties. The BNP had never encouraged such killings … Rather we had tried [when in power] every single incident,” he claimed.

Asked about BNP standing committee member Moyeen Khan's remark on September 29, a day after the assassination of an Italian citizen at city's Gulshan, Fakhrul said, “It was his personal opinion. Our party is yet to hold any meeting on it [killings of foreigners]. I am yet to take my charge fully in the party as I am on leave due to my illness. He [Moyeen Khan] would be able to explain on what perspective he had made those remarks. It would be difficult for me to explain his comments.”

At a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, Moyeen said the ruling Awami League government cried wolf.

The Awami League government used the militant issue for its own interest and to get benefit from the western world. Now it has become the victim of that. It has fallen into the canal which it dug by raising the issue of militancy before the west, Moyeen had said.

Fakhrul expressed concern that irresponsible remarks from the government's top level over the murders of the two foreigners would not only create obstacles to the probes but also make it difficult to identify the perpetrators.

“Such incidents are taking place more and more as the law and order situation in the country is very fragile,” he added.

Fakhrul demanded the government ensure exemplary punishment for the killers of the foreigners after identifying them through a proper probe.

“We strongly condemn the killing of the two foreign citizens. Such murders demonstrate that the country's law and order situation is now very bad,” he said.

Earlier at a press conference at the party's Naya Paltan central office, BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon said the premier's remark that BNP-Jamaat clique might be involved in the killing of the two foreign nationals was unfortunate and improper.

Hasina is saying that the incidents were under investigation but on the other hand, she is linking the BNP and other opposition parties to the incidents. It's regrettable, he said.

Hasina during a press conference at her Gono Bhaban residence said, “The style of the killings of the two foreign nationals was the same. These were planned murders. If you assemble the remark of a BNP leader and the reaction after the killing of the Italian national in Gulshan area, the matter will be clear.”