Awami League's plot behind Canada court's verdict: BNP

The BNP sees an 'Awami League hand' behind a Canadian court's observation which said the party was a terrorist organisation.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 23 Feb 2017, 11:41 AM
Updated : 23 Feb 2017, 12:00 PM

In the verdict rejecting a BNP activist's application for permanent residency as a protected person, the Federal Court has observed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that his organisation engages, has engaged or will engage in acts of terrorism.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi claimed the whole thing was 'engineered by the government.'

"After going through the verdict, we find this to be a part of a conspiracy. We believe it's an intentional effort of the government; they staged the whole thing."

Asked whether the BNP would move higher courts in Canada, Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi said it would be decided after discussions within the party's leadership. "This is our instant reaction over the matter."

In the Jan 25 observation, the Canadian court included international media reports, studies and information gathered from the internet on the history of hostility between the two major political parties in Bangladesh, violence during political demonstration like general strike, use of general strike as a weapon to make it difficult for the government to achieve economic targets, and the BNP's involvement in these to back its verdict.

More than 150 people died in the first quarter of 2015 in violence unleashed when the BNP-led opposition alliance enforced a countrywide blockade of roads, railways and waterways.

Speaking at Thursday's media call, Rizvi questioned why the matter was being reported now when the court's verdict came on Jan 25.

"We have seen the reports ran by a government-influenced (Dhaka-based) media outlet as well as the one by the (Bangla) online media (published) from Canada. Shaugat Ali Sagor, who reported it, was the vice president of Chhatra League's (Awami League's student wing) Chittagong University unit.

"It's clear that they are going for propaganda and hatching plans against the BNP in Canada," said the senior BNP leader.