Hasina questions BNP's commitment to Bangladesh's independence

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has questioned the BNP's notions of Bangladesh's freedom, saying that a party that inducts children of war criminals in its inner councils cannot believe in the freedom of the country.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 August 2016, 11:46 AM
Updated : 24 August 2016, 11:46 AM

She was speaking at her office on Wednesday at an event related to grants for journalists affected by various impairments.

The BNP recently announced the names of members to its policymaking National Standing Committee as well as a 73-strong Advisory Council to the Chairperson and the National Executive Committee comprising 502 members.

The sons of war crimes convicts Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Abdul Alim have been inducted into the new committee.

The prime minister wondered if a party that inducted the descendants of those who joined hands with Pakistani forces and were guilty of crimes like murder and rape during the 1971 war could believe in the freedom of Bangladesh.

"They do not believe in Bangladesh's freedom, they do not believe in the prosperity of this nation, they do not believe in peace, this is the reality", she said.

She also accused the BNP of squandering money abroad in a bid to lobby for a stop to the war crimes trials in the country.

Speaking about press freedom, she said, "Newspapers enjoy maximum freedom in the country but sometimes they create difficult situations".

She advised the journalists to discharge their duties in  accordance with guidelines.