The main opposition BNP is set to stage its pre-schuduled countrywide protest in the afternoon in protest against the conviction and death sentence of the party’s Standing Committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.
The demonstration programme is scheduled to be started at about 3pm.
Earlier on Wednesday, BNP announced to observe the programme protesting the tribunal verdict which it termed a “conspiracy” to eliminate political opponents and the government’s “evil design” to destroy all state organisations.
Meanwhile, the party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that Salauddin Quader had been deprived of justice in his trial for war crime charges.
“The verdict lost its acceptability after the resignation of one of the chairmen of the tribunal following the Skype scandal and the leak of the verdict against Salauddin Quader Chowdhury on the internet before it was delivered in the court,” Fakhrul said.
“The state minister for law Wednesday admitted the leak incident, saying actions would be taken against the persons responsible. The tribunal registrar has also filed a general diary with the Shahbagh police station.
“Given the circumstances, we believe Salauddin Quader Chowdhury has not got justice. This is just a conspiracy to eliminate political opponents,” Fakhrul said at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters.
The BNP leader said: “We are surprised as the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Salauddin Quader to death.”
He claimed that the formation of the tribunal and transparency of the process had already been questioned at home and abroad.
“The BNP has long been speaking of transparency, impartiality and international standards in the trial of the crimes against humanity committed during the country’s Liberation War. But it is already proved that the government is conspiring to eliminate its political rivals in the name of the trial,” he said.
“According to the leaked verdict, its preparation started back on May 23 this year at the law ministry when the tribunal was only taking depositions of witnesses. It is a rare and unethical event in the history of world judiciary.
“Apart from this, the government barred two socially well-established individuals to appear as witnesses for Salauddin Quader. One of them is an incumbent justice at the Supreme Court who formally wrote to the chief justice for permission,” Fakhrul said.
“One of the witnesses and many others submitted affidavits to the tribunal, saying Salauddin Quader left for Pakistan on March 29, 1971 and stayed there until October before flying for London. But the tribunal did not take those claims in cognisance,” he said.
The BNP leader claimed that the crimes Salauddin Quader was convicted for had been committed between April 13 and July in 1971.
Fakhrul said the Dhaka city unit of the party would observe the demonstration programme at the Suhrawardy Udyan at 3pm on Thursday.
He declined to take any questions from journalists at the press conference.
Meanwhile, Salauddin Quader’s wife Farhat Quader Chowdhury expressed satisfaction over the BNP’s position on the verdict. “The BNP is a large political party. I am happy with the position it has taken,” she told the Dhaka Tribune.