No BNP rally to be allowed before punishing those responsible for violence: AL

The BNP will not be allowed to hold any rally or gathering until those responsible for the violence and deaths during the blockade and strikes are arrested and brought to book, says Awami League leader Mahbub-Ul Alam Hanif.

The ruling party joint general secretary told a rally on Tuesday in Dhaka that the BNP cant just get away by apologising for the violence.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia had called the indefinite blockade on Jan 5 after failing to organise rallies as part of the movement she is leading to force the government to hold snap polls under a non-party administration.

According to the government, 55 people have been killed and 556 others injured since then in petrol bomb and crude bomb attacks.

However, unofficial sources put the death toll at around 100.

A number of cases have been lodged already accusing most of the top leaders of the BNP.

Khaleda was also named as the ‘instigator of violence’ in several cases.

Ruling party leader Hanif on Tuesday said, “Recently I heard some people saying that the BNP will be allowed to hold rallies if they apologise for the violence and withdraw the blockade and shutdown.”

“Petrol bombs have killed 87 people and injured over 1,000 in past one and half months. Thousands of poor have suffered losses.

“People want to first see the murderers are arrested and punished,” he said.

“I want to make it clear that the law will take its own course.”

Hanif said, “They (BNP) won’t be permitted to organise any rally or gathering in Bangladesh until trials for these killings take place and the verdicts are executed.”