Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif claimed that Begum Khaleda Zia had benefited from Ziaur Rahman’s murder.
“Many people in the country believe that Begum Khaleda Zia may have been involved in the killing of the founder of BNP and former president Ziaur Rahman. She was in power twice, but did not arrange a trial for Zia’s killing, only because it could reveal her involvement,” Hanif said at a press conference in the political office of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.
He also alleged that Ziaur Rahman was involved in the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members.
“Following the brutal killing of Bangabandhu, why did Mustaque trust Zia so much that he made him the chief of army? Why and how many times did Rashid, Faruque and the gang of other killers meet Zia before and after Bangabandhu’s murder?” he posed the questions at the conference.
The leader said: “In their interview with the BBC, Faruque and Rashid clearly said that Mustaque was the mastermind behind Bangabandhu’s murder. They also said Zia fully supported the conspiracy to kill Bangabandhu.”
Pointing at BNP’s acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Hanif said: “I would like to ask you why BNP did not arrange the trial for its founder’s murder when it was in power.”
Awami League’s Joint General Secretary Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Organising Secretaries Ahmed Hossain, BM Mozammel Huq, MP and Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury were also present at the event, among others.