Law minister concerned over BNP’s ‘terrorist’ tag

Law Minister Anisul Huq today expressed grave concern following a Canadian court’s identification of BNP, Bangladesh’s political opposition, as a “terrorist organisation”.

“It is not a matter of pride, rather an affair of grave concern,” Anisul Huq said reflecting on the issue while addressing a programme at Dhaka University this afternoon.

A Canadian court passed an observation regarding BNP, identifying the organisation as a terrorist body on January 25 – which took the country’s political arena and components by storm.

Ruling Awami League harshly pulled up on BNP, a party which went outside the parliamentary politics by boycotting the last general elections. However, signs are, they are willing to join in the next polls.

Claiming BNP became a terrorist organisation because of its subversive activities, Anisul said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established Awami League as a democratic and disciplined political party even under endurance of repression of the then Pakistani government.

“Bangabandhu had believed in disciplined politics, and thus no one could indentify Awami League as a terrorist organisation at that time,” the law minister said.

Pointing finger at BNP, he called upon the leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student front of the ruling Awami League, not be misguided by the means of such politics of terrorism.

“We will have to be careful so that we don’t fall in the grip of any terrorist political party,” he added.