Speedy Trial Act extended to keep BNP out of polls: Nazrul

UNB, Dhaka :BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan on Friday alleged that the government has extended the tenure of the Speedy Trial Act by five years ‘to keep their party and others out of elections and send party men to jail’.He came up with the remarks while addressing a human chain programme in front of the National Press Club in the city.Comilla (North) unit of Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas), cultural front of BNP, organised the programme demanding the release of top BNP leaders, including its standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.Parliament on Thursday passed the “Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) (Amendment) Bill, 2014” extending by another five years the tenure of the Speedy Trial Act that deals with serious crimes such as extortion, vandalism and tender manipulation.Nazrul Islam Khan also called for a mass movement to force the current regime to quit for its various failures.Criticising the government for what he said its failure to realise fair share of Teesta waters from India, he said, “People living on the banks of Teesta are going through acute sufferings. But, the government failed to realise the share of Teesta water.”The BNP leader also slammed the government for its move to allow India to use Bangladesh soil to transmit 6,000 megawatt power from Assam to Bihar via Dinajpur through a new electricity network.He also demanded immediate release of his party leaders, including Dr Mosharraf Hossain, who are now behind the bars in different cases.BNP leaders Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, Khairul Kabir Khokan, Jubo Dal leader Moazzem Hossain Alal and Shirin Sultana, among others, addressed the programme presided over by Arif Mahamud, president of Jasas Comilla (North) unit.