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BNP firm to hold today’s protest rallies

Blames AL for trying to pick quarrel

Staff Correspondent
The ruling BNP is adamant to go ahead with its today's protest rallies at Muktangan in the city and elsewhere in the country despite the hartal called by Awami Jubo and Mohila leagues to protest the August 21 grenade attack on Awami League meeting.
"We showed maximum tolerance and deferred our Saturday's programme to Monday to avoid any conflict or confrontation with AL programmes. But the main opposition has deliberately called hartal again on our new programme day,” BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhdiyan told a news
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conference yesterday afternoon.
He said, when the BNP first announced its programme on Tuesday last to condemn and protest bomb attack and other terrorist acts in the country on Saturday, there was no opposition programme on that day. But, the opposition intentionally called hartal on Saturday last, he alleged.
"We then shifted our programme to Monday to avoid conflict. But the AL, ignoring political civility, once again called hartal for tomorrow. So, this time we have decided to hold our rallies and processions across the country as per the schedule," Bhuiyan added.
Bhuiyan, who is also the LGRD and Cooperatives minister, said the AL would be held responsible if any untoward incident happen today, as the opposition wants to pick a quarrel with the ruling party.
Elaborating on government steps taken after the August 21 explosion, the BNP secretary general said a question has now arisen on whether the AL wants trial of the attackers and proper investigation into the crime, as it seems to be bent on putting obstructions to the investigation process.
Referring to the judicial inquiry commission comprising a senior judge of the High Court that the government has formed, Bhuiyan criticised AL for forming a private investigation committee, instead of co-operating with the judicial commission, to probe into the grisly attack.
"I personally know the members of the private inquiry committee. Is this private committee neutral? Do the members of it have no allegiance to any party?" he questioned, and urged the committee members to co-operate the judicial commission for ensuring proper investigation into the bomb attack.
Referring to the AL's demand for an international probe, Bhuiyan said he does not know whether the UN or the Commonwealth has ever carried out any investigation into any such incident in any country.
On the other hand, he said, the Interpol is recognised a worldwide as an international investigation organisation and people across the globe have confidence in it. And so the government sought help from this international body, a team of which already has arrived in Dhaka, he added.
But, unfortunately, he observed, the AL is now opposing the Interpol in an apparent move to create obstruction to its investigations.
On the prime minister's initiative to hold dialogue with the opposition leader, he said the AL outright rejected it and, moreover, termed the business-
men and intellectuals, who requested for such a dialogue, as killers.
Replying to a question on the Supreme Court Bar Association's inquiry committee's letter seeking the PM's audience, the BNP secretary general said he has no knowledge about any such letter, adding it would be wise for the lawyers of the committee to co-operate with the judicial commission.
On another question, he said the government would not step down on any illogical demand or pressure, and termed the AL's demand for resignation of the government as illegal and illogical.
"The government has not done anything wrong which may force to resign... No situation has also been created in the country that would demand its resignation," Bhuiyan said, adding. "The BNP-led alliance government will not resign even a day ahead of completion of its full-term."
"We are in power with the mandate of the people. and the AL should remember that this government is enjoying over two-third majority," he pointed out.
The LGRD minister alleged the AL is not accepting the judicial commission and the Interpol's help because it wants to grab power by any means, except by the mandate of the people.
Referring to the calling of hartal one after another, Mannan Bhuiyan claimed the hartals and student strikes are just deliberate attempts to create sufferings for the people, halt postflood rehabilitation works, as well as destroy the academic life of the students.
"Are the students responsible for the bomb attack? Then why is this strike in all educational institutions down to kindergarten level? Are the businessmen responsible for the bomb attack? Then why the businessmen are being made victims of hartal," the minister questioned and alleged all these moves are aimed at destroying the country's stability.
He urged the opposition to withdraw today's hartal and non-stop student strike. "We thought good sense will prevail in the opposition after we deferred our Saturday's programme. But, now we are fully convinced that they want a conflicting situation to jeopardise democracy, peace and stability," he maintained.
BNP central leaders and ministers including Tareque Rahman, Abdullah Al Noman, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Selima Rahman, Ashraf Hossain, Amanullah Aman, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Zahiruddin Swapan, Mofiqul Hasan Tripty and Syed Emran Saleh Prince were present at the conference.