BNP to form commission to identify Zia’s killers

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said their party will form a new commission to identify those who were behind the murder of its founder Ziaur Rahman and put them on trial if the party returns to power in the days to come.

“I would like to say it very clearly that if we come to power, we will form a new commission for the trial of those who were involved in the murder of martyred president Ziaur Rahman. We also want to know who were behind the murder incident,” he said.

Fakhrul made the remarks after paying homage to Ziaur Rahman by placing wreaths at his grave, marking BNP’s 44th founding anniversary.

This announcement came a day after Law Minister Anisul Huq told parliament that the government was planning to form a commission by December next to identify the people who were behind the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975.

Fakhrul alleged that Awami League has let loose its “cadres” and law enforcers to thwart a justified movement of the people protesting the hikes in the prices of fuel and daily essentials.He said police and the ruling party activists attacked their party leaders and activists in different parts of the country, leaving many of them injured.

Besides, the BNP leader said many leaders and activists of their party and its associate bodies were arrested and implicated in different cases.

“Even, we’ve heard that one of our workers was killed in Fatulla of Narayanganj today (Thursday). We strongly condemn this incident. We demand that the killers be brought to justice immediately,” Fakhrul said.

He warned the government that it will not be able to suppress a just movement for the restoration of democracy by resorting to killing, enforced disappearing, attacks and repression. “People’s victory is going on and will continue.”

Fakhrul together with party senior leaders placed wreaths at Zia’s grave around 12pm and joined a muajat thee seeking the salvation of the BNP founder’s departed soul.

BNP Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, were, among others, present.

Ziaur Rahman founded the party on September 1, 1978, with a 19-point programme to build a self-reliant Bangladesh. After his assassination on May 30, 1981, his widow Khaleda took over the party leadership.