DHAKA: BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said no leader of his party including Tarique Rahman was involved in the Aug 21 grenade attack on AL rally that killed 24 people in 2004.

Mirza Fakhrul made the remarks at a discussion meeting on jailed party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release in Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Tuesday (October 9).

He said, “With ill intention, the ruling Awami League government involved BNP leaders like party acting chairperson Tarique Rahman, Abdus Salam Pintu and Lutfozzaman Babar to cause political harassment to them. No BNP leaders or activists were involved in the attack. The government has not conducted a fair investigation to identify the real perpetrators and politically pushed the whole matter into a different direction.”

“The then BNP government filed case after the attack incident, conducted investigation. Even FBI investigators were invited to look into the matter. When charge-sheet was submitted during 1/11 government, no BNP leaders were named in it, A total of 61 people testified and none of them mentioned Tarique Rahman’s name. However, the whole situation overturned when Awami League formed government 2009. New investigation was launched and people were tortured to give statement that implicated Tarique Rahman,” he said.

The senior BNP leader also said there is no motive for BNP men to be involved in the attack. Only Awami League was the beneficiary. They created an issue out of it and trying to destroy BNP since then.

Earlier, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the verdict of the August 21 grenade attack case is likely to be prescribed by the ruling party.

BDST: 1532 HRS, OCT 9, 2018
AP/SMS