Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif yesterday alleged that the attack on BNP leader Reaz Rahman was a part of party chief Khaleda Zia’s conspiracy to create anarchy in the country.
The ruling party leader also claimed that BNP activists launched the attack on Reaz, also the former state minister for foreign affairs, to gain political advantage by creating an unstable situation.
Hanif made the claims at a press conference in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political office at Dhanmondi in the capital yesterday afternoon.
The press conference was held to state Awami League’s stand over the current political situation; several key leaders of the party were present at the event.
Reaz was shot four times in front of the Westin Hotel in the capital’s Gulshan area late Tuesday night right after he left the party office following a meeting with Khaleda Zia. His car was set on fire as well.
After the attack, BNP alleged that Reaz’s attack was the reflection of the prime minister’s warning of tough decision against the BNP if the party did not stop “creating terror” during her speech at Awami League’s rally on Monday.
Hanif said Khleda Zia started the politics of murders to acquire power, wreaking havoc in the name of blockade and hartal.
“Khaleda Zia will attack anyone at any moment to create anarcy in the country in order to come to power. So every one should be cautious about the activities of the BNP-Jamaat alliance, or else they can create a critical situation in the name of democratic movement,” Hanif said.
He also claimed that Khaleda knew she would not come to power again: “That is why she is doing all this and halting the country’s development, using the terrorists of the 20-party alliance to sabotage the country.
“AL does not believe in the politics of attacking political oppositions. I have seen the BNP’s statement on the attack on Reaz Rahman. It proves that Khaleda Zia has accepted the responsibility of the violence all over the country in the past several days,” he said.
Asked about a statement made by the prime minister’s Political Adviser HT Imam, Hanif said: “HT Imam is not a political leader, nor is he a part of the Awami League. So no comment on his statement.”
However, he said there would be “no dialogue with any terrorist party or organisations” when asked about the possibility of a dialogue between the Awami League and the BNP.
Interestingly, the prime minister’s Political Adviser HT Imam made the BNP an offer for a dialogue at a seminar on Tuesday, but laid down a few conditions.
Imam said the government would sit across the table if the BNP cut its tie with Islamist militants and war criminals. But he denied any possibility of mid-term elections.
The BNP has long been demanding a non-partisan caretaker government to oversee the national polls, for which it boycotted the January 5 elections last year.