Dhaka, May 12 (bdnews24.com) -- A senior BNP leader has said Bangladesh has lost its friends due to the present government's diplomatic 'failure'.
"The government has no friend other than neighbouring India. It has no connection with the Middle East," party standing committee member Moudud Ahmed told a seminar in the city on Thursday.
Deshpremik Juba Shakti, a social organisation, organised the seminar, titled 'War Crimes Tribunal Act-1973 and War Crimes Trial', at the VIP Lounge of the National Press Club.
Moudud alleged that the western countries were no longer ready to recognise Bangladesh as their friend for disgracing Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
"Bangladesh cannot depend on only one country -- India. This cannot be allowed to go on," Moudud said urging people to get united to overcome the situation.
Referring to the US Human Rights Report-2010, he said the report findings had made it clear that the country's human rights situation has taken an alarming turn.
"People do not get fair judgment in court as the judges cannot discharge their duties freely," he alleged.
Raising question about the war crimes trial process, he said the government had started the trial with a political motive to weaken the opposition and create anarchy in the country.
He said that the International War Crimes Tribunal Act was formulated in 1973 to hold the trial of 195 detained Pakistani occupation forces. "And the government was holding the trial of others amending the act with an ill-motive."
The former BNP law minister also said it was against the basic rights as enshrined in the constitution to keep the arrestees detained for an unidentified period without trial.
He demanded that the arrestees, including senior BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury be granted bails.
Chaired by Deshpremik Juba Shakti president Rafique Chowdhury, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, acting president of Labour Party Mostafizur Rahman Iran, Supreme Court lawyer Fakhrul Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka city unit chief Rafiqul Islam Khan.
bdnews24.com/sm/pd/skb/mr/2120h
"The government has no friend other than neighbouring India. It has no connection with the Middle East," party standing committee member Moudud Ahmed told a seminar in the city on Thursday.
Deshpremik Juba Shakti, a social organisation, organised the seminar, titled 'War Crimes Tribunal Act-1973 and War Crimes Trial', at the VIP Lounge of the National Press Club.
Moudud alleged that the western countries were no longer ready to recognise Bangladesh as their friend for disgracing Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
"Bangladesh cannot depend on only one country -- India. This cannot be allowed to go on," Moudud said urging people to get united to overcome the situation.
Referring to the US Human Rights Report-2010, he said the report findings had made it clear that the country's human rights situation has taken an alarming turn.
"People do not get fair judgment in court as the judges cannot discharge their duties freely," he alleged.
Raising question about the war crimes trial process, he said the government had started the trial with a political motive to weaken the opposition and create anarchy in the country.
He said that the International War Crimes Tribunal Act was formulated in 1973 to hold the trial of 195 detained Pakistani occupation forces. "And the government was holding the trial of others amending the act with an ill-motive."
The former BNP law minister also said it was against the basic rights as enshrined in the constitution to keep the arrestees detained for an unidentified period without trial.
He demanded that the arrestees, including senior BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury be granted bails.
Chaired by Deshpremik Juba Shakti president Rafique Chowdhury, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, acting president of Labour Party Mostafizur Rahman Iran, Supreme Court lawyer Fakhrul Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka city unit chief Rafiqul Islam Khan.
bdnews24.com/sm/pd/skb/mr/2120h