BNP chief, Tarique named in complaint over vandalism of Bangabandhu’s sculpture

By Sumi Khan
Dhaka, Dec 9 : BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir have been named in a complaint filed with a Dhaka court over the vandalism of Father of the nation Bangabandhu’s sculpture and inciting of the anti-sculpture movement led by the radical Islamist groups.

The complaint also implicates radical Islamist group Hifazat-e Islam chief Junaid Babunagari, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis’ Acting Secretary General and Hifazat Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque and Islami Andolan chief Sayed Faizul Karim.

After hearing the plaintiff’s statement, Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Sikder set Thursday for an order on the matter.

“Anti-liberation collaborators of Pakistan, who are led by Khaleda Zia, broke down an arm of a statue of the Father of the Nation in Kushtia on 4 Dec night and damaged an ear of the statue at Madhu’Da ,martyr of 1971 and owner of Madhu’s Canteen of Dhaka University by using Islamist militant goons as part of a conspiracy to foil independence and sovereignty, and turn Bangladesh into Pakistan,” AB Siddiqui said in the complaint.

Siddiqui sought arrest warrants for the accused. He added that he had filed around seven cases against Khaleda and 10 against Tarique in total.

Siddiqui, president of Jananetri Parishad, submitted the case petition for violation of the Penal Code to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Mamunul had threatened to stop construction of Bangabandhu’s statues and rid Bangladesh of all sculptures at a rally in Dhaka on November 13, according to the complaint.

Babunagari, speaking at a religious gathering in Chittagong’s Hathazari on November 27, had threatened to carry out mayhem like the one Hifazat unleashed on May 5, 2013 in Dhaka’s Motijheel, Siddiqui said.

Faizul, at a rally outside the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque of Bangladesh on the same day, threatened to tear down Bangabandhu’s statue and dump the debris in the Buriganga river, and call a gathering in Motijheel again, the complaint mentioned.

Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from IANS service.