BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday claimed that a propaganda was being hatched to implicate the party with militancy, with a view to malign its image.
“Awami League is the father of militancy and terrorism. Activities of the [banned Islamist outfit] JMB (Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh) rose high when they were in power. Now it is them again who are hatching a new conspiracy against the BNP in the name of militancy. Their aim is to tarnish the BNP’s image and isolate the party from the world,” Fakhrul said.
He claimed that the BNP did not believe in militancy and terrorism.
The BNP leader feared that the country’s existence would be threatened if the Awami League remained in office for more days. “We do not believe in criminal activities. The BNP believes in electoral democracy. That is why we talked about election. We want change of power through fair election.”
Fakhrul made the comments while addressing a discussion at the National Press Club to mark the 50th birthday of party’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, also elder son of the party chief.
Tarique, now staying in the UK on parole, in September blamed the Awami League for portraying Bangladesh as a militant state. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia made similar claims in October last year saying that militancy and terrorism had taken the root during the Awami League’s 1996-2001 tenure.
However, past records and investigations reveal that it was Khaleda’s first regime (1991-1996) when the first terrorist organisation Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, Bangladesh (Huji) was launched openly in early 1992. Moreover, militant groups JMB and JMJB (Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh) was created in 2002 and 2004 – during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
These groups, aimed at establishing Islamic rule, were banned on February 23, 2005. On August 17 the same year, JMB carried out series bomb blasts across the country simultaneously.
Mahtab Khamaru, the second-in-command of hanged JMB chief Bangla Bhai, was arrested on November 27, 2005 but subsequently released as Tarique Rahman had asked then home state minister Lutfozzaman Babar to do so.
During the military-backed caretaker government, police and terror victims filed cases against several influential BNP leaders including former telecommunications minister Aminul Haque, former state minister for land Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu and former lawmaker Nadim Mustafa for their support and financial backing of the JMB.
Fakhrul yesterday alleged that incidents of bomb blasts had taken place during the Awami League government. “They did not arrest the militants at that time. Who was top militant leader Abdur Rahman Jahangir? He was the brother-in-law of Mirza Azam.”
The BNP leader said another person was arrested a few days back in connection with the August 21 grenade attack cases. “In newspapers, it was reported that the arrestee revealed Olama League President Kanchpuri’s involvement with the incident. [Detained Huji chief] Mufti Hannan is a man from Gopalganj [prime minister’s birthplace].”
According to the grenade attack cases and confessions of the accused, Hannan and his men with support of Tarique, Babar and intelligence agencies carried out the attack on Awami League’s anti-terrorism rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in 2004.
Fakhrul also blamed the Awami League’s student body Chhatra League for “establishing kingdom of criminal activities” across the country and the “killing of 50 people due to infighting.” He said the Chhatra League activists kill each other, but point finger at others.
Regarding rampant gold smuggling and the recent arrests of top Biman officials, Fakhrul said: “It was reported that the incumbent Biman chairman is a close aide of the prime minister.”