Free all leaders before budget session of JS

BNP lawmakers yesterday demanded release of the recently arrested opposition leaders, including five MPs, before the budget session begins in parliament.
"The next session of parliament [budget session] will begin on May 27. We urge the president, the Speaker and the leader of the House to release our detained lawmakers before the date," said Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque at a human chain programme at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
The human chain was organised in protest at the arrests of opposition leaders on charges of arson during the April 29 countrywide hartal enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance.
BNP MPs-- M K Anwar, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee-- Liberal Democratic Party President and lawmaker Oli Ahmed, and Bangladesh Jatiya Party Chairman and lawmaker Andaleeve Rahman Partho were recently detained and put behind bars in connection with torching of a vehicle near the Prime Minister's Office on that day.
Another 28 top leaders of the alliance are currently behind bars in the arson case. A Dhaka court on Wednesday rejected their bail pleas.
Farroque at the protest programme also demanded release of BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other detained leaders of the alliance.
Criticising Speaker Abdul Hamid, the opposition chief whip said he was acting in favour of the ruling party men and had thrown his neutrality overboard.
"Had the Speaker been neutral, he would have enquired about the arrests. But he [Abdul Hamid] did not even ask the home minister why the lawmakers were detained," Farroque added.
He demanded withdrawal of the "false" cases filed against opposition leaders and workers, including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Mirza Fakhrul.
The 13th session of the 9th parliament, budget session, will begin at 5:30pm on Sunday.
BNP MPs Barkatullah Bulu, Jafrul Islam Chowdhury, Mosharraf Hossian, Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Ashrafuddin Nizan, Rumana Mahmud, Asifa Ashrafi Papiya and Rehana Akhter Ranu, among others, were present at the human chain.