Special Correspondent :Senior Awami League (AL) leaders yesterday termed the main opposition BNP nothing but a platform of Taliban, JMB and religious militancy.They also alleged that BNP-led the 20-party alliance was nothing but a front of evil people like that of venomous snakes.The AL leaders have threatened BNP of tougher action in case its tries to create anarchy in the country in the name of movement.”The BNP, Taliban, JMB and Jamaat are nothing but same force,” AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told a discussion meeting at the Bangabandhu Avenue AL central office. The discussion meeting was organized by Dhaka City unit of AL to mark 10th anniversary of August 17-‘countrywide series bomb attacks day’. Addressing a separate meeting, senior AL leader Tofail Ahmed blamed Ziaur Rahman for sowing the seeds of religious militancy in the country. While AL Joint General Secretary Mohammad Hanif said, “The BNP’s venomous teeth should be uprooted.” It may be mentioned here that on August 17, 2005, banned Islamist militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) simultaneously blasted at least 459 bombs at 453 places in all 63 districts, except Munshiganj, sending a panic wave allover the country. As per media reports, the synchronize bomb attacks left 2 person killed in Chapainawabganj and Savar respectively and over 100 injured at different places. Syed Ashraf, also the Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives, said, “the BNP leaders were involved with militancy from the very day of its inception and present leaders and activists of this party have benefited from the killing of Bangabandhu.”Addressing a discussion meeting at Dhakeswari Mandir, senior AL leader and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed alleged, “The BNP’s founder Ziaur Rahman laid the foundation for religious militancy through the 5thamendment to the Constitution.” “While Zia had sown the seeds of religious militancy in Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia strengthen and nurtured the militants,” Tofail told the meeting organized by Puja Udjapon Parishad to observe ‘Janmaashtami’. The Commerce Minister reiterated the allegation that Ziaur Rahman was involved in the conspiracy to kill the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Urging all to resist BNP-Jamaat, Tofail said, “Otherwise, Bangladesh will be turned into a militant country and social harmony will be destroyed.” Syed Ashraf told the AL discussion meeting that forces of religious militancy became active in the country following the formation of BNP. Terming BNP as an organization established on militant ideology, he said, “they (BNP) still practicing militancy.” The AL General Secretary also urged the party leaders and activists to solidify unity of the party and shun internal feuds. “All of us should remain united to resist the militant force of the BNP,” he said. AL leader and Food Minister Quamrul Islam said the BNP could not be separated from the Taliban, Jamaat and JMB.He blamed Khaleda Zia for forming and nurturing JMB.Mohammad Hanif said that the BNP-led 20-party alliance was a platform of an ‘evil force like that of venomous snakes’. There is no more venomous force than that the 20-party alliance in the country, he added.”The people of the country had witnessed venomous atmosphere created by BNP from 2001 to 2006. So we will uproot their (BNP) venomous teeth so that they could not create venomous atmosphere once again,” the AL leader said. Mohammad Hanif was critical of BNP Acting Secretary General Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for ‘lying’ to the nation that BNP was not fighting for attaining power but for democracy.”You (BNP) had launched countrywide synchronized bomb attacks on August 17 and killed 24 persons on August 21 through grenade attacks on Awami League rally,” he told AL activists pointing his finger to the BNP. Presided over by Acting President of Dhaka City AL MA Aziz, the meeting was also attended by AL Presidium members and Agriculture Minister Begum Motiya Chowdhury and former Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun, Relief and Disaster Management Minister and City AL General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, party leaders Haji Selim MP, Shahe Alam Murad and Syed Khokan.
