Govt hatching conspiracy to keep BNP leaders away from polls

Senior BNP leader Nazrul Islam Khan yesterday said though the government was conspiring to keep their top leaders away from future polls by "punishing them in false cases", "big leaders were not necessary for winning any polls".

Pointing to recent killing of two foreign nationals, the BNP standing committee member said the government was blaming BNP without conducting any investigation.

"The government is accusing our leaders including the party's Dhaka city unit member-secretary (Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel)…But it is not right to accuse anyone without proper evidence," he told a doa mahfil at the BNP's Naya Paltan central office.

Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal organised the programme seeking early recovery of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is now in London for treatment.

Nazrul also said people want to see in power a representative government elected with their votes. "But this government fears to face a competitive election. The government is conspiring to hold another election like the January 5 one by keeping its main opponents out of the race," he said. 

He alleged that BNP Vice Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka was deprived of his right to self defence and punished in a graft case.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday sentenced the former Dhaka city mayor to 13 years' imprisonment in the graft case.