Maltreatment of opposition leaders

THE government has again charged senior opposition leaders with arson attack and murder following Tuesday night's Bangla Motor tragedy that killed a policeman. Among some 40 people accused in the case, 18 are top opposition leaders including BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir,  the party's standing committee member Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy as well as two Jamaat leaders. It's worthwhile to note that in the afternoon of that day, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia had called upon her supporters and party activists from across the country to join what she termed 'Democracy March' and  converge on Dhaka next Sunday.
The sweeping manner in which the opposition leaders were accused is questionable. How and when was the necessary investigation carried out before  implicating them in the case? In fact, the way the issue has been handled by the police raises more questions it answers.
Filing of police case against opposition leaders hours after BNP chairperson's call for Dhaka march cannot be passed of purely as coincidental. It may be recalled that similar criminal charges of arson and murder were brought against top BNP-led 18 party leaders  in November last year when buses were burnt down in Shahbagh and Malibagh amid opposition-enforced political programmes.
The government action goes down as being vengeful, aimed at foiling the December 29 opposition-called mass rally in Dhaka.
Such maltreatment of the senior opposition leaders for their alleged part in criminal acts is as outrageous as it is unacceptable.