Staff Reporter :
The BNP on Wednesday rejected the 21 August grenade attack cases verdict which convicted a number of party leaders, including its Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman.
The party announced seven-day countrywide programme. It includes demonstration and black flag procession.
The leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies organised protest processions in the capital and other cities and towns across the country.
“It is a politically motivated and dictated verdict. It is a verdict of vengeance. We do reject it as it has been delivered after implicating BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and others purposefully. We condemn the verdict,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in an urgent press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in the capital.
Numbers of police on Wednesday cordoned the BNP central office day-long to prevent the party men to show any furious reaction to the verdict.
Mirza Fakhrul said, the government has repeated another dirty example of political vengeance. The life term to Tarique Rahman has proved that justice in this country is a distant destination.
BNP Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the party’s protest programme in a separate press briefing on the same venue.
The programme includes demonstration in metropolitan cities including Dhaka city and district headquarters across the country on Thursday, countrywide demonstration by Jatyatabadi Chhatra Dal on October 13, countrywide demonstration by Jatyatabadi Juba Dal on October 14, countrywide demonstration by Jatyatabadi Swechchhasebok Dal on October 15, black flag procession in metropolitan cities including Dhaka city and district headquarters by BNP on October 16, countrywide human chain by Jatyatabadi Mahila Dal on October 17 and countrywide human chain by Jatyatabadi Sramik Dal on October 18.
Earlier in the day, a court sentenced 19 people, including former State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar and former Deputy Minister for Education Abdus Salam Pintu, to death, while 19 others, including BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, to life imprisonment in two cases filed over the 21 August grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.
Jatyatabadi Chhatra Dal carried out a protest procession on Green Road in the capital. JCD President Rajib Ahsan lead the procession.
Besides, ruling party leaders and activists carried out attack on a protest procession of BNP in Khulna. Police intercepted BNP demonstration in Sunamgonj.
Police also detained several leaders and activists of BNP and Juba Dal from the demonstrations at Barisal and Madaripur.
Apart from these, BNP and its associate bodies brought out processions in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Moulvibazar, Tangail, Narayangonj and other cities and towns across the country.
