BNP will scrap Digital Security Act within a week if it returns to power, says Moudud

BNP leader Moudud Ahmed says his party will scrap the Digital Security Act and Broadcast Policy drafted by the present government in the first seven days if it assumes power in future.

“The newspapers and other media outlets won’t be able to work independently due to the laws. They have gagged the media. Freedom of speech, which happens to be our constitutional right, has been snatched away,” Moudud said during a protest on Saturday.   

The Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal organised a human chain at the National Press Club in Dhaka to protest the sentencing of Tarique Rahman in the Aug 21 grenade attack case.

“Tarique Rahman will return home and turn himself in. He will appeal to the court and get bail. He will prove it in the High Court that the verdict against him is an inactive one; it will never be implemented.”

Tarique has been living in London for 10 years with his family. Tarique, who has been convicted in three cases, became the acting chairman of the party after his mother Khaleda Zia was sent to jail in a graft case.

“We believe that Tarique Rahman will be successful in his appeal and will be acquitted by the High Court,” said Moudud.

The political intentions of the government have made the verdict ‘unacceptable,’ Moudud complained.

“Tarique Rahman was never involved in the incident. We brought in the FBI and the Interpol to investigate the incident during the tenure of the BNP government. They investigated but never mentioned Tarique Rahman’s name anywhere.”

Moudud alleged that the Awami League has named Tarique in the case out of ‘political revenge’ after it came to power in 2009.

“We believe that this verdict has been forged. The people in the country have not accepted it,” he said.

The Jatiya Oikya Front has reached the corners of the country with its urge to oust the present Awami League government, the BNP leader said.

“This is a national alliance of all parties and will bring about a change. It will force the government to adopt dialogue with the political parties and conduct the election under a non-partisan neutral government by dissolving the parliament,” said Moudud.

The alliance will intensify its movement to get Khaleda released from jail, Moudud said.