Tarique will be brought to justice in Bangladesh, Hasina says again in London

Sheikh Hasina has stated again that her government will continue its efforts to make Tarique Rahman face justice in Bangladesh.

The prime minister spoke about the issue once again at a gathering on Thursday in London, where the BNP acting chief in exile has been living for over a decade.

Tarique, declared fugitive by Bangladesh courts, has been sentenced up to life in jail for money laundering, corruption and the deadly Aug 4, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally targeting Hasina.

The Awami League chief, addressing expatriate leaders of the party at Taj Hotel, said: “We’ve tried the killers of Bangabandhu and the war criminals. Killers and money-launderers do not deserve forgiveness and the nation will never forgive them, no matter where they hide or how much money they spend.”

“Court has given its verdict against these killers and money-launderers. We will take measures to execute the verdict. They will surely be punished regardless of how many slogans they shout or how much they deride (the government),” she added.   

BNP activists in London demonstrate almost every day outside the hotel against the Hasina government during her visit while the Awami League workers also gather in a show of support to it.

“They have amassed huge wealth illegally by stealing the orphans’ money, and through money laundering,” the prime minister said, referring to Tarique and his mother Khaleda Zia, the BNP chief who has been in jail for corruption for over a year.    

She again said the BNP top brass in London and many other places outside Bangladesh “sold nomination for each seat to multiple aspirants for billions of taka which led to the party’s election debacle”.

The prime minister thanked the expatriate Bangladeshis and UK Awami League for standing by the party during the 2007-08 caretaker government.

She alerted them to the BNP’s ‘evil propaganda’.

UK Awami League President Sultan Mahmud Sharif chaired the event moderated by General Secretary Syed Sajidur Rahman Faruk. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam was also present.

Hasina will leave the UK for Bangladesh on Friday evening after the eight-day ‘official’ visit, Faruk told bdnews24.com.