Khaleda must face trial: PM

Accusing Khaleda Zia of having a link with international militant group Islamic State (IS), Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today categorically said the BNP chief will have to face trial for killing people.

“You’re seeing that terrorist activities are going on globally… what the IS did! …they burned 45 Egyptians to death….she (Khaleda) has a connection with them (IS), she’s now burning people of my country to death joining hands with them. This cannot be spared,” she said.

The premier was responding to a supplementary question from ruling Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman during her question-answer session in the parliament.

She said Khaleda is killing people through arson attacks by giving orders staying in her office. “She’s burning people, she’s killing people; the people of Bangladesh will never tolerate these killings.”

The premier mentioned that cases have been filed and the law will take its own course. “Proper actions will be taken as per the law against Khaleda Zia,” she said adding that Khaleda cannot avoid her responsibility for killing people.

Hasina also mentioned that all these acts of Khaleda cannot go unpunished.

Reiterating that Khaleda unleashed a reign of terror across the country by killing innocent people, Hasina said some cadres of Khaleda and Jamaat-Shibir are involved in these killings.

“The trial of these will surely be held on Bangladesh soil…such serious crimes cannot be accepted…if such unjust is tolerated then the country will plunge into destruction.”

Khaleda suddenly imposed hartal in the country from February 2 when the SSC examinations were scheduled to start, Hasina said and questioned what the BNP chairperson will achieve by ruining the academic career of the SSC examinees.

Hasina also compared the killing of people through arson attacks with militancy and terrorism. “Killing people through arson attacks is just militancy, nothing else,” she said adding that the BNP chief is now in a reverie of killing people.

Reiterating that boycotting the last general election was a wrong political decision of Khaleda, the premier questioned why the people of the country will have to pay for her wrong decision. “She (Khaleda) is now taking revenge on people…what type of activity is this.”