DT e-Paper 27 February 2017

Khaleda fails to say
anything new
• Manik Miazee
On Sunday night, BNP Chairperson
Begum Khaleda Zia discussed
the Election Commission,
attacks on minorities, and
international relations with the
newly-elected Dhaka Bar Lawyer’s
Association’s president,
general secretary and other
BNP-affiliated leaders.
Khaleda opened by saying
a neutral election would have
seen BNP be an unstoppable
force. She alleged that Awami
League could not win in a fair
election, and thus rigged the
EC for subversive purposes.
She called the election
commissioner unqualified, a
controversial figure and vigorously
attacked the Election
Commission. The BNP chairperson
then said the ruling
party had been assailing BNP
by filing cases and attacking
BNP leaders and activists.
She also said the government
has become autocratic
and those in charge think of
themselves as kings, since they
were not elected by the people,
rather took power by force.
Khaleda further fumed,
saying the government is
maddened by power and is
dehumanising everyone else,
treating the people like serfs.
She said Awami League’s
atrocities had even deprived
hawkers of their livelihoods.
In addition, she said when
BNP tried to peacefully protest,
Awami League attacked
people and torched vehicles
and blamed it all on BNP.
She alleged that Awami
League was responsible for attacks
on minorities, pointing
out the attack on Santals in
Gaibandha in particular.
Begum Zia went on to say
that BNP wants to be on good
terms with all allied nations, but
would never concede national
interests to appease foreign
powers. She reproached Awami
League for not protesting the
border killings by the BSF.
She concluded by saying
BNP does not cheat to win
elections, rather swayed by
the popular vote. Khaleda
accused Awami League of
cheating and rigging elections
to win, claiming the general
public did not support Awami
League. •
News 7
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017
DT
Body of Jakir Khan arrives
from New York
• Mohammed Serajul
Islam, Sylhet
The body of Jakir Khan, a
Bangladeshi real estate businessman
who was stabbed to
death by his landlord in New
York, US, reached his hometown,
Sylhet yesterday.
His Namaz-e-Janaza was
held on Fenchuganj Kasim
Ali Model High School ground
around 5pm.
Protesters want demolition of
Khandakar Mushtaq’s house
• Mohiuddin Molla, Comilla
Several hundred people from
all walks of life formed a
human chain yesterday on
Dhaka-Chittagong Highway
at Daudkandi in Comilla demanding
immediate removing
of the house of Khandakar
Mushtaq Ahmed, one of the
masterminds behind the assassination
of Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibar Rahman and
the four national leaders.
Daudkandi Upazila Chairman
Maj (retd) Mohammad
Ali Swapan spoke at the event
An Emirates flight carrying
the body arrived at the Dhaka
airport around 8am. Later, it was
sent to Sylhet on an ambulance.
Local lawmaker Mahmud Us
Samad Chowdhury and UNO of
Fenchuganj Hure Jannat went
to Jakir’s home at Pathantila
village to offer sympathy to the
family of the deceased.
A community leader in
Bronx, Jakir was killed by his
landlord on February 22. •
among others.
He said that the Awami
League would always be
with the people who were
struggling for the removal of
the house of Bangabandhu’s
killer.
By removing the house, the
people of the district would be
free from stigma, he added.
Born in the village of
Daspara in Daudkandi, Mushtaq
became the commerce
minister in Bangabandhu’s
cabinet in 1975. He earlier
served as the power, irrigation
and flood control ministries. •