Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday told parliament that the government had arrested over 600 leaders and activists of its student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, for their involvement in criminal activities such as extortion and tender snatching.
She also said some “permanent ruling party members” – those who always stick to the ruling parties, be it the Awami League or the BNP – intruded into Chhatra League for protection, but the government took action against them immediately after every untoward incident.
Hasina, who earlier declared herself disassociated from Bangladesh Chhatra League, claimed that her youth and student fronts harboured the “permanent ruling party members” to increase their numbers.
She also said many of the relatives of so called Chhatra League leaders were involved with politics of the opposition BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
“You will be astonished to know that we have arrested 600 Chhatra League activists on charges of extortion and tender snatching. We have filed cases against them and the trial process has already started,” Hasina told parliament while delivering her valedictory speech at the budgetary session.
“This is the first time in history that a ruling party has arrested so many leaders from its own front,” he said, reiterating that the government had taken actions against the musclemen.
On the other hand, there were some parties and groups who switched sides and turned to the ruling party overnight for their protection from police action, she said, adding that the facts went out whenever untoward incidents took place.
In this regard, she admitted: “The Chhatra League and the Juba League also invited them to increase their strength.”
Referring to the government’s order to arrest the armed goons of Chhatra League for killing Bishwajit who was murdered in old Dhaka during an opposition enforced hartal, the PM said: “Those who killed Bishwajit, just applied for the membership of the Chhatra League and were suspended for their involvement in the killing.”
Meanwhile, the PM alleged that leaders and activists of the BNP’s student wing Chhatra Dal and youth front Juba Dal were actively involved in different criminal activities including murder, during the BNP regime.
“The meritorious student of Buet, Sony, was killed due to the internecine fight between the two groups of Chhatra Dal,” she mentioned.
Moreover, the BNP leaders abducted their own leader, businessman Jamal Uddin whose bones were recovered a year and half after he was murdered.
Whereas, the Awami League immediately initiated legal actions against its party leaders and activists without considering the political identities of the wrongdoers, the premier asserted.