‘BNP amended its charter to chair a corrupt leader’

BNP has amended its charter to make a convicted fugitive Tarique Rahman its chairman, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said today.

"BNP is a self-declared corrupt party. It has dropped article seven from its party charter to make fugitive convict Tarique Rahman its acting chairman," he said.

While addressing a programme at the party President Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi office in Dhaka, Quader added that “no mentally imbalanced or corrupt person can be the leader of a party”.

Without holding any council, BNP dropped the article seven of its charter 10-days before the judgement of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, Quader said.

On February 8, a special court sentenced Khaleda Zia to five years in jail while Tarique and four others to 10-year imprisonment and fined Tk2.1 crore each.

Blasting BNP for dropping the article seven, Quader said Awami League cannot drop any article from its constitution without holding council, “but BNP has done it”.

"Why the BNP has brought the amendment to its constitution? I did not get any answer yet," the Awami League leader said.