“The way Tarique Rahman, our party’s some leaders and then some high officials were implicated in the August 21 cases, it’s tantamount to showing a shameless thumb to the judiciary, democracy and the country’s independence and sovereignty,” said BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed.
“Considering the overall situation, a strong doubt is created in our mind that the government is trying to influence the judge of August-21 cases bringing the examples of former Chief Justice SK Sinha and Judge Motahar Hossain to implement its blueprint,” he said.
The BNP leader came up with the remarks at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office as the tribunal is set to deliver its verdict in the case just two days later.
On September 18, Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 fixed October 10 to deliver its verdict in two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.
Moudud said SK Sinha was forced to leave the country and resign after giving the verdict in 16th amendment case while Judge Motahar Hossain had to flee the country to save his life for not signing in a verdict written by the government in a money-laundering case against Tarique Rahman.
He alleged that the government is now putting in all-out efforts to deprive Tarique and other BNP leaders of justice through a verdict as ordered by the government with an evil motive.
Torque’s lawyer and BNP vice chairman Khandker Mahbub Hossain said around 225 witnesses gave depositions in the August-21 cases. “No one of them said Tarique and BNP leaders had involvement with the incident.”
He said it will be contrary to justice if Tarique and other BNP leader are convicted in the case. “There’s no way to convict Tarique Rahman, Abdus Salam Pintu and Lutfuzzaman Babar by examining the witnesses and documents. Even, Sheikh Hasina in her deposition given under the section 161 did not bring any allegation against BNP and Tarique Rahman.”
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Jamiruddin Sircar, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury were, among others, present.