BNP won’t join Padma Bridge inauguration: Fakhrul

BNP will not join the inauguration programme of the Padma Bridge, said the party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a press conference.

He said this in reply to a media query at party chairperson Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office.

He said the BNP leaders and activists will "not go to the programme of those who killed people and want to kill prominent people by throwing them into water".

Earlier in the day, the government invited BNP to join the opening programme of the Padma Bridge on June 25.

Dulal Chandra Sutradhar, a deputy secretary of the Bridges Division, went to BNP's Nayapaltan central office around 11am and handed over the invitation cards to party's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Seven BNP leaders – Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moin Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, and Vice-Chairman Hafiz Uddin Ahmed -- were invited to participate in the inaugural programme.

Talking to reporters, Dulal Chandra said he, on behalf of the Bridges Division, came to the BNP office with the invitation cards.

Rizvi said a deputy secretary gave the invitation cards to the BNP office when he was present there. "I do not want to make any comment on this. We have no interest in it."

Replying to a question, he said there is no reason for their party leaders to take part in the programme.