Hasina plotted coup after polls, says Patal

"I am telling you as an MP that the opposition leader prodded the army to stage a coup at the fag end of the caretaker government's tenure but the patriotic army refused to go by her dictates," said Patal while taking part in discussion on the budget.

Trading of accusations with few words on the virtues or vices of the budget as usual marked the general debate on the budget.

A former leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League, Rajshahi University, Patal launched a tirade against the Awami League and its leadership.

"After losing power, Sheikh Hasina and her party leaders have been cooking up evil designs," said Patal. "Her latest design was to brand the present government as having links with al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden."

In his lengthy speech, Patal also harped on post-independent days and recalled the contributions of Sheikh Mujib, General Osmany, Ziaur Rahman, Tajuddin Ahmed and students to the independence movement.

"But the attitude of Awami League leaders is that independence of Bangladesh is their property," said Patal.

Drawing a comparison between Sheikh Hasina and the BNP chairperson, Patal said Khaleda Zia paid tributes to Sheikh Mujib by visiting his mazar. She never spoke ill of or made derogatory remarks about Sheikh Shaheb. "On the contrary, the way Hasina spoke of other distinguished leaders of the country has doomed her own political career."

Referring to the AL demand for trial of Sheikh Mujib's killers, Patal questioned why Hasina did not hold trial of the killers of Bangabandhu by special tribunal when she was in power. "This would have implicated her party leaders including Abdul Momen and Farid Gazi," he added.

He did not spare even his political guru Tofael Ahmed and Mohammad Nasim and accused them of killing seven students on Dhaka University campus and five in Pabna jail.

Patal dismissed outright the Awami League charge that he was involved in the recent killing in Natore of Momtazuddin, a former lawmaker of the Awami League.