Zakir Hossain in Dhaka
Bangladesh’s former Premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday questioned the delay in the trial of ousted former premier Sheikh Hasina, with party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam expressing frustration over the lack of progress one year after her ouster.
“We haven’t seen much progress. Why hasn’t the trial started properly even after a year? Those who ordered broad daylight killings with shoot-on-sight directives must be held accountable,” Fakhrul said while launching a Jubo Dal graffiti campaign in Dhaka’s Shahbagh to mark the July–August uprising anniversary.
He rejected the interim government’s claim that parties are not cooperating on reforms. “That’s not true. We’ve always been open to cooperation,” he added.
Referring to recent arrests of five youths accused of extorting Tk 50 lakh from a former MP’s house, Islam asked, “If this is happening already, what does it say about our future?” He also alleged brutal torture of BNP activists in police custody during last year’s unrest and criticised the media for ignoring the treatment of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in jail. “I urge journalists to tell the truth, to speak for the people,” Islam said.
Meanwhile, the BNP briefly walked out of Monday’s session of the National Consensus Commission (NCC) dialogue after a proposal was tabled on the appointment process for four key bodies: the Public Service Commission (PSC), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Comptroller and Auditor General, and the Ombudsman.
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed announced the walkout, saying the party would not join talks on these constitutional and statutory bodies. The party has maintained that it will only discuss the Election Commission-related issues. However, the BNP delegation, including Salahuddin Ahmed and Chairperson’s adviser Ismail Zabiullah, returned to the session later in the day.
NCC Vice Chair Ali Riaz clarified that BNP had earlier informed they would attend but not participate in certain discussions. “If one party refrains, the dialogue cannot be stalled,” he said. CPB leader Ruhin Hossain Prince expressed concern, warning that consensus would be difficult without BNP’s full participation.