TDS Desk:

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday asked India to extradite ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh and let her face trial here.

“It is our call to you that you should hand her over to the government of Bangladesh in a legal way. The people of this country have given the decision for her trial. Let her face that trial,” he said.

The BNP secretary general made this call while talking to reporters after paying tribute to BNP founder President Ziaur Rahman in the city.

He along with two newly inducted members of BNP Standing Committee –Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Dr AZM Zahid Hossain– paid tribute by placing a wreath at the grave of President Ziaur Rahman.

Mirza Fakhrul said India does not seem to keep its commitment towards democracy by providing shelter to her.

“Staying there, she has started various plots to thwart the revolution that happened in Bangladesh,” he alleged.

The BNP secretary general said the people of this country don’t consider her offenses as minor.

He said they think her fascist rule has weakened Bangladesh’s independence and hindered the country’s progress for the last 15 years.

During her regime, she made a debt burden of Tk 18 lakh crores for the nation and nearly US 100 billion dollars were siphoned off from the country, said Fakhrul adding that all institutions of the country were destroyed during her misrule.

Interim government does commendable tasks:

Mirza Fakhrul said the main task of this interim government, which was formed through a revolution and mass upsurge, is to hand over the power to the public representatives by holding an election.

“But we think it will definitely take some time to clear the garbage the Awami League government created. It will take time to hold a proper and fair election,” he said.

Replying to a question, the BNP Secretary General praised the current interim government’s activities.

“The work done by it in 11 days is undoubtedly commendable work,” he said

On August 16 last, BNP vice chairmen Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Dr AZM Zahid Hossain were inducted into the party’s standing committee, the highest policymaking body.

With the fresh appointment of the duo, the total number of the BNP standing committee members has risen to 16.

The current standing committee members include Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Zamiruddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Rafiqul Islam Mia (sick and inactive), Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moueen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Dr AZM Zahid Hossain.

Three posts in the party’s standing committee still remain vacant.