The main opposition BNP on Tuesday threatened to enforce more hartals after Wednesday’s one if the cases filed against party’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman are not withdrawn.
“We want to say it clearly that if the false cases filed against Tarique Rahman are not withdrawn, and spreading propaganda against him is not stopped immediately, tomorrow’s (Wednesday) hartal will not be the last one,” Shamsuzzaman Dudu, adviser to the BNP chairperson, told journalists.
Speaking at a press briefing organised at party’s Naya Paltan headquarter in the capital, Dudu said the ‘government’ and some ‘ministers’ are continuously spreading propaganda against Tarique although he is receiving treatment in London on parole. Tarique would return home after completing the treatment, he added.
BNP-led 18-party alliance on Monday called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal for Wednesday protesting against the serving of an arrest warrant against Tarique, also the elder son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Regarding the blast of handmade bombs at different parts in the capital this afternoon, Dudu said: “Our hartal programme will be peaceful. We didn’t ask anyone to bring out any procession adjacent to the party office. BNP and its front and associate bodies have no connection with the cocktail blast incidents.”
The BNP leader further said those involved in the blast of crude bombs should be arrested.
“Otherwise, we will think that the government has a connection with the blasts,” Dudu commented.
Mentionable, four crude bombs were went off while a vehicle was vandalised in front of BNP’s Naya Paltan office this afternoon creating panic across the area.
Asked whether the party has moved away from its longstanding demand for holding the next general elections under a nonpartisan government, Dudu said: “Party leaders and activists will wage movement when the most popular leader of it trapped into trouble. But, we have not moved away from our main demand.”
