The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday urged India to extradite ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled the country on August 5 amid an unprecedented student-people uprising.
鈥業t is our call to you that you hand her over to the government of Bangladesh in a legal way. The people of this country have decided to put her on trial. Let her face that trial,鈥� BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said while talking to reporters after paying tribute to the party鈥檚 founding聽 president Ziaur Rahman in Dhaka.
He, along with two newly inducted members of the BNP standing committee, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and AZM Zahid Hossain, paid tribute by placing a wreath at the grave of Ziaur Rahman.
Fakhrul said that India did not seem to keep its commitment to democracy as the country provided shelter for her.
鈥楽taying there, she has started various plots to thwart the revolution that has happened in Bangladesh,鈥� he alleged.
The BNP secretary general said that people in this country did not consider her offences as minor.
He said that they think her fascist rule has weakened Bangladesh鈥檚 independence and hindered the country鈥檚 progress for the past 15 years.
During her regime, she made a debt burden of Tk 18 lakh crore for the nation, and nearly $100 billion was laundered abroad, said Fakhrul, adding that all institutions of the country were destroyed during her misrule.
Fakhrul also said that the main task of this interim government, which was formed through a revolution and mass upsurge, was to hand over power to public representatives by holding an election.
鈥楤ut we think clearing the garbage that the Awami League government created will take some time. It will take time to hold a proper and fair election,鈥� he said.
Replying to a question, the BNP secretary general praised the current interim government鈥檚 activities.
鈥楾he work it did in 11 days is undoubtedly commendable,鈥� he said.
On August 16, BNP vice chairmen Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and AZM Zahid Hossain were inducted into the party鈥檚 standing committee, the highest policymaking body.
With the fresh appointment of the duo, the total number of 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, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir,聽 Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and AZM Zahid Hossain.
Three posts in the party鈥檚 standing committee remain vacant.