UK BNP says ‘sorry’ for attack on Bangladesh mission in London

The BNP’s UK chapter has ‘regretted’ the attack on the Bangladesh High Commission in London from a recent demonstration ahead of Khaleda Zia's graft case verdict in Dhaka.

Its President MA Malique and General Secretary Koysor M Ahmed released a statement on Tuesday saying ‘sorry’ for the ‘unwanted’ incident which they said had occurred due to the ‘discourteous behaviour’ by the Bangladesh high commissioner.

Some expatriate BNP leaders and activists demonstrated outside the High Commission of Bangladesh in London on Feb 7, a day before a court in Dhaka sentenced Khaleda to five years in jail for corruption in Zia Orphanage Trust.

Some of the protesters stormed the high commission, vandalised furniture and glass, and dishonoured the portrait of Bangabandhu after smashing the frame and glass cover while submitting a memorandum to the high commissioner.

The BNP leaders said in the statement members of the Bangladeshi community in Britain also took part in their ‘peaceful’ protests.

It said the high commissioner refused to accept the memo they submitted and ‘was very rude’, enraging the BNP activists and ‘other members of the Bangladeshi community’.

“At one stage, some incidents occurred, which were unwarranted and unintentional,” it said.

The BNP ‘always favours peaceful programmes’ in Bangladesh and abroad, the statement said.

“As the president and general secretary of the UK BNP, we are sorry for the untoward incident in the Bangladesh High Commission in London,” it added.   

The ruling Awami League has blamed Khaleda’s son Tarique Rahman, who is the acting chief of BNP now, for the attack.

Tarique, who is also convicted in the same case, has been in London for around a decade for ‘treatment’.