BNP cannot deny involvement: Quader

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said the government is not interfering in the trial of August 21 grenade attack case.

BNP on the other hand alleged that Awami League's top leaders are making “reckless remarks” involving Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman over the August 21 grenade attack case, as part of its plot to influence the verdict.

Talking to reporters at Patenga, Chittagong, Quader said, “It [August 21 grenade attack] was a brutal incident, killing 22 people including Ivy Rahman. The whole country knows that the attack was planned by Hawa Bhaban.”

The minister was in Chittagong to oversee the ongoing construction work of a tunnel under the river Karnaphuli. 

Quader said, “It is the court which will decide who was involved in the killing. Our judiciary is independent. We are not interfering in any way in this regard.”

The AL leader said many leaders of BNP are likely to be found involved in the grenade attack. Therefore it can be said that they might be in trouble to some extent if they are convicted, as the national election is coming up.

Quader also said BNP cannot deny its involvement regarding the grenade attack.

Meanwhile, speaking at the party's Nayapaltan central office, Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, “People are wondering whether the government is going to implement its own verdict through the court. Their (govt high-ups') comments give people an impression that a dictated verdict is going to be delivered.”

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Obaidul Quader are making careless remarks about Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman to influence the trial of August 21 grenade attack case. Their comments are an indication of a deep-rooted conspiracy ahead of the national election,” added Rizvi.

Referring to AL General Secretary Obaidul Qauder's comment that BNP will be in serious trouble after the verdict in September, Rizvi wondered how Qauder came to know that the verdict will be delivered in September.

“Quader's remark has exposed the government's evil plan regarding the verdict.”

Incumbent IGP Javed Patwary, who was the additional IGP of CID in 2008, submitted an inquiry report saying Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami led by Mufti Hannan and Mawlana Taj Uddin carried out the attack. In the probe report, BNP and Tarique Rahman were not mentioned, claimed Rizvi.

The BNP leader said now the government is trying to influence the verdict to implicate Khaleda and Tarique, in order to hold another “lopsided” election.

“The government is planning a destructive game of holding the next election without the participation of opposition parties,” Rizvi said.