Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said the people think that Begum Khaleda Zia should be sent back to prison again as her party BNP didn’t realize the generosity of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “I saw a post on facebook that BNP leaders including Begum Khaleda Zia and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir are crossing the Padma river by swimming. It is meaning that many people think they (BNP) should cross the river by swimming not through the bridge as they opposed and conspired to construction of the bridge and they had tall talks that the Awami League government couldn’t construct it,” he said. The minister told reporters after addressing a function of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) marking its 27th founding anniversary in city’s Segunbagicha area. He said BNP is staging protest rallies today. But, Begum Khaleda Zia had tried to kill the Prime Minister and the August 21 grenade attack proved it, he added. He said the premier has shown her unprecedented generosity to Begum Khaleda Zia by extending her release from jail for two years in spite of being a convicted accused. But now, many are raising questions why the premier is showing the generosity to those who don’t know how to make valuation of the kindness, he added. Therefore, Begum Khaleda Zia should be sent back to jail again, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary. Earlier, the minister and the DRU president inaugurated the function of the organisation through hoisting national and DRU flags respectively. Later, Hasan joined the rally after releasing of pigeons and balloons. Jatiya Press Club President Farida Yesmin and others addressed the inaugural function with DRU president Nazrul Islam Mithu in the chair. DRU general secretary Nurul Islam Hasib conducted the function. Hasan said the DRU has remained united in the way of its 27 years journey, stayed away from politics and it was not divided politically which are a great success of the organization.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-2) has arrested Mufti Abdul Hai, a fugitive convicted to death for attempting to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2000 who was living in Narayanganj changing his name since 2009. Members of RAB-2 arrested Mufti Abdul Hai, former Amir (chief) and founding member of the banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad Bangladesh (Huji), from Fatullah in Narayanganj on Wednesday night. He was convicted in the case of attempt to assassinate Sheikh Hasina at Kotalipara in Gopalganj and 2001 Ramna Batamul blast case. RAB Assistant Director (Media) ANM Imran Khan confirmed the arrest, saying that details will be announced at an official press conference on Thursday. On July 20, 2000, an attempt was made to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by planting a bomb at a public meeting place in Kotalipara, Gopalganj. The court sentenced 14 militants to death in that case. On June 23, 2014, a court sentenced eight people including the top leader of Huji -Mufti Hannan to death and six others to life imprisonment, for bombing and killing 10 people at Ramna Batamul on Bengali new year function on 2001. According to RAB sources, he was among the capital punishment awardees in these two cases. He was also sentenced to life in the Bangabandhu Avenue grenade attack case.