The BNP on Friday denied any authenticity of news reports that party Chairperson Khaleda Zia met her eldest son Tarique Rahman and held a meeting with Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad in Singapore, terming those politically motivated.
“This purposeful information is a propaganda aimed at creating confusion,” the party’s Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said.
“Opposition leader Khaleda Zia went to Singapore on June 16 for treatment, but some newspapers reported that she and Tarique were hatching a conspiracy there. A newspaper said a meeting between her and HM Ershad took place.
“These sorts of news are baseless and politically motivated,” Rizvi said while addressing a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters.
If responsible media presented false and purposeful news, people of the country would be confused, he said, adding: “We urge the media to refrain from entertaining such false and baseless news.”
Rizvi said: “If there was any necessity to hold a meeting [with Ershad], why in Singapore and why does that have to be a secret one?
“A meeting can always be held in the country!”
The BNP leader said the countrywide tour of the party’s senior leaders to revamp the grassroots had been postponed because of “some unavoidable reasons.”
He alleged that national and international conspiracies were going on against the BNP’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, “but nothing will hamper his activities.”
“Tarqiue Rahman is working for the democracy of the country amid national and international conspiracies. It will not be possible to stop him with conspiracies,” he said.
BNP Chairperson and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia went to Singapore on June 16 for treatment. Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad had gone to Singapore on June 10. Ershad has already returned while Khaleda is expected to return on June 24.
The two top leaders received treatment at the same hospital in Singapore.
