The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) yesterday accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of trying to influence the court by making comments on its chairperson’s under trial Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
“It’s obviously an act of influencing the court the way the prime minister talked about Khaleda Zia’s cases. Does the prime minister think filing cases and giving punishment will depend on her will as the judiciary and administration under her control”, asked BNP senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Speaking at a press conference, he also wanted to know from the prime minister whether she has already determined that the opposition leaders and activists will have to get punished in their cases while the ministers can retain their portfolios even after conviction by the court.
Addressing a reception accorded to her in Germany by the local unit of Awami League on Friday, Hasina said Khaleda Zia will certainly be punished in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case if the court is convinced with proper evidence and
documents.
“This is clear that she (Khaleda) embezzled the orphanage money. If the court has the evidence, she (Khaleda) must be punished ... they (BNP) won’t allow the election just to save a thief. What type of attitude is this”, the PM said.
Protesting the PM’s comment, Rizvi said Hasina and her party’s top leaders are continuously spreading lies over the ‘false and politically motivated’ cases filed against the BNP chief.
“The prime minister and the Awami League leaders’ statements have clearly manifested they’re hatching new plots against Khaleda Zia,” he alleged.
There were 15 cases against Hasina when she became the prime minister, the BNP leader said, adding she withdrew the cases ‘through magic’ without legally facing them. “The Awami League has set an example how their own cases can be removed while others can be harassed by filing cases using state power.”
He said the way a former prime minister like Khaleda Zia has been harassed by forcing her to appear before courts frequently has hurt the sentiment of the country’s millions of people.