Govt formed spl force for abduction, killing: Khaleda
Govt formed spl force for abduction, killing: Khaleda
Accuses Ershad of Zia murder
BNP chief Khaleda Zia today alleged that the Sheikh Hasina government has formed a ‘special force’ comprised of Rab and police officials hailing from a particular region to carry out abductions and killings.
“This special force is being operated from the very top level. The government is using this force to carry out abduction and murder as well as to kill youths across the country like they were killed in the post-liberation war period,” she said at a mass hunger strike at the Jatiya Press Club premises.
The Dhaka city unit of BNP organised the eight-hour strike from 9:00am as part of the party’s programme protesting ‘false cases’ against Khaleda and her son Tarique Rahman and incidents of abduction, enforced disappearance and killing.
The top leaders of components in the BNP-led 19-party alliance, Bikolpo Dhara Bangladesh, among others, expressed solidarity with the programme.
In her 30-minute speech, Khaleda called upon civil society personalities, professional bodies and political parties to take to the streets together to what the BNP chief said save country’ democracy, people and to stop killing and abduction.
She said people are ready and they are demanding tougher programmes to dethrone the government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“But we are giving time to the government hoping that good sense will prevail on them and it will hold a free, fair and inclusive election through discussions,” Khaleda said.
The former premier however warned that if the peaceful programmes like human chain, hunger strike, rally and procession do not work to stop ongoing abduction and enforced disappearance she must come up with tougher programmes.
Referring to seven murders in Narayanganj, Khaleda said not BNP the Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League criminals were involved with different crimes including killing and abduction in other parts of the country.
She also raised questions why Rab and police members raided Nur Hossain’s residence today, seven days after Nazrul Islam and others were abducted from Narayanganj and murdered later.
The BNP chief said the government was using police and Rab in partisan purposes and officials hailing from a particular region are getting preferences in the two forces.
Pointing to those Rab and police officials, Khaleda said the Awami League government must step down someday. “Where will you go then. You must be held accountable for all your misdeeds—how many murders you have carried out and who ordered you to do so.”
She also alleged that not only Narayanganj, the whole country has turned into a death valley.
ERSHAD MURDERED ZIA
Khaleda, wife of late president Ziaur Rahman, today lambasted Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad terming him killer of her husband and Major General Mohammad Abul Manzur who was assassinated in June 1981 in Chittagong.
This is for the first time in many years, Khaleda accused Ershad of killing Zia, said BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman.
“Ershad must be tried. Why the verdict [of Manzur killing case in which Ershad is the prime accused] was postponed?” questioned Khaleda adding the verdict was postponed in a bid to keep the dictator with the government.