Govt will not stop Khaleda, Tarique returning to Bangladesh, Inu says

The government will not put up any roadblock to BNP chief Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman’s return home, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has said.

Khaleda and Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique are now in London.

“We won’t create any hurdles; on the contrary, we will welcome them. Because it is natural for a Bangladeshi citizen to come home,” Inu said in a media conference on Monday.

Tarique faces several criminal charges in Bangladesh.

When the minister said Khaleda and Tarique were ‘involved in terrorism, violence and militancy’, the reporters asked if the government would obstruct their entry into Bangladesh.

“Khaleda Zia has not been able to break away from her husband’s (late president Ziaur Rahman) habit of signing political deals with militants, extremists, war criminals and Jamaat[-e-Islami],” Inu said.

“It is because of this deal that she has chosen the path to political suicide, becoming a leader of terrorists and carrying out planned murders, sabotage and bombings,” he added.

Tarique has been living in London since 2007 and is wanted in Bangladesh for his suspected involvement in the attempt on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s life on Aug 21, 2004.

Khaleda has been staying with Tarique since she went to London for medical issues in September.

She recently called for a national dialogue ‘to overcome the political impasse’.

In a programme to mark its ‘Revolution and Solidarity Day’ on Nov 7, BNP Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed called for a ‘national unity’ of all democratic political parties to tackle the threat of terror.

Inu organised Monday’s media call to give reaction to Moudud’s appeal.

“We can’t accept a formula made by killers...We are rejecting Moudud’s call for unity ‘with killers’,” he said.

“He wants to legitimise BNP’s deal with militants, extremists and war criminals. The bid to cover up terrorism in the name of national unity will not succeed,” he added.

The JaSad leader also said the call for ‘national unity’ was “an attempt to veil wrongdoings”.

Asked if the BNP would be banned as a ‘terrorist party’, Inu said, “Khaleda Zia has turned BNP into a terrorist party. We are checking the legal issues carefully. There is no place for firebombings in democratic politics.”