Delwar seeks UN probe into 'HR violation'

Khandaker Delwar Hossain, secretary general of pro-Khaleda faction of BNP, yesterday urged the United Nations to investigate human rights violations in the country including alleged torture of Tarique Rahman, elder son of party chairperson Khaleda Zia.
"Everyone knows the human rights situation in the country. Tarique Rahman is now fighting death as his spinal cord has been damaged. But the government is not investigating the matter," he said urging the UN to initiate an investigation for collecting information.
"We are expecting the United Nation's interference in this regard," he said while addressing a discussion meeting organised by Shocheton Jubo Forum in a hotel in the capital with Muhiuddin Khan in the chair.
Accusing the government of hatching conspiracies for prolonging its stay in power, Delwar said the government has taken the city corporation and municipality elections as a 'test case' and after those elections it will hold upazila elections to elect its own people through rigged polls.
"They [the people in the government] want to establish a rubber stamp parliament with the help of some foreigners," he quipped urging the people to come forward to resist such 'conspiracies'.
Delwar further alleged that the government plans to form an electoral college with more than 600 chairmen and members of local government institutions to elect the country's president.
He went on saying the people already identified those who had destroyed the country's democracy in a planned way in the name of establishing it.
Meanwhile, leaders of Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal (JMD) yesterday demanded a judicial inquiry commission for investigating the alleged torture of detained BNP chairperson's sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman, who are also in detention.
JMD, a front organisation of BNP, also asked the government to release Khaleda Zia and to send her two sons abroad for treatment without further delay. Putting out a 48 hour ultimatum to the government for meeting the demand, JMD warned the interim administration that it will be forced to announce demonstration programmes otherwise.
"Tarique was in good health when he was arrested. But he was tortured during remand. Two of his spinal discs were broken during the remand," Sohrab Uddin, president of JMD, alleged at a news briefing held in Delwar's Nam flat in the city.
He claimed that Koko, younger son of Khaleda Zia, also suffered torture in detention, and demanded punishment for those who were involved.