The opposition BNP is staging protest programmes teaming up with 'hooligans, militants and war criminals' to protect corrupt Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman, the Awami League spokesman has said.
'Constitution amendment is not the main issue. Their (BNP) aim is to protect two corrupt sons [of chairperson Khaleda Zia] and war criminals,' general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said on Thursday.
'Another group of war criminals called hartal which proves how they are staging joint agitation programmes,' he said at a press briefing at party president Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi office.
Syed Ashraf said the opposition's main goal was to 'turn Bangladesh into another version of Pakistan'.
'The BNP is not a pro-liberation force. They do not believe in Bangladesh's independence. They still believe that the liberation war was the cardinal sin in Bangladesh's history,' he continued.
Referring to the July 10-11 general strike called by 12 Islamist parties, Ashraf, also the LGRD minister, said, 'They called hartal after the BNP did. They did not even read the constitution.'
'These communal groups, militants and international terrorists planned the hartal at a meeting presided over by Khaleda Zia at her office.
'The trials of the corrupt people and war criminals will be held in Bangladesh during the tenure of this government,' he asserted.
Asked who were the 'communal, militants and international criminals', the Awami League general secretary said, 'Harkat-ul-Jihad[-al-Islami], Islami Shasantantra Andolan, Hizb-ut Tahrir…all were there.'
A 48-hour shutdown is being observed by the BNP and its allies from Wednesday to protest at the annulment of the caretaker government system through the 15th amendment.
Twelve other Islamist parties called general strike for July 10-11 protesting at the removal of the words 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Almighty Allah' from the constitution through the amendment.
Source : New Age
