Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said that an anti-terrorism special tribunal will be formed to try BNP chief Khaleda Zia and her accomplices for 'instigating' petrol bomb attacks during the 20-party alliance's agitations early this year.
"The government has planed to form an Anti-terrorism Special Tribunal to try cases of violence against Khaleda Zia and her associates," the Prime Minister told Parliament.
Sheikh Hasina, the Leader of the House, made the remarks while replying to a starred tabled question by Selina Begum in the question-answer session in the parliament.
The Prime Minister said she gave instructions for fair and speedy trial of the cases and all the arson attack cases will be handed over to the speedy trial tribunal.
"Under the section 27 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, there is a provision for forming anti-terrorism special tribunals," she said.
"The investigation of the cases filed for petrol bombs attacks across the country will be properly made while the implementation process of the investigation reports will also be monitored appropriately," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said until formation of such tribunal, the session judges concerned and the additional sessions judges have been given power to speedily dispose of the cases under this Act.
The Prime Minister blasted BNP chairperson for her recent remarks accusing police for petrol bomb attacks during BNP-led agitation programme against the government at the beginning of this year saying that BNP is lying in the holy month of Ramadan.
"It's very unfortunate that BNP chairperson is spreading the falsehood in the month of holy Ramadan. Even Khaleda Zia had told lie following the heinous grenade attack on me on August 21, 2004," she said.
The Prime Minister said people know better that BNP and Jamaat in the name of thwarting the January 5, 2014 election and movement to unseat the government in January 2015 went on killing spree through unleashing vandalism and petrol bomb attacks.
People had faced the situation with courage and fortitude, she said now BNP chairperson is trying to shoulder the responsibility of those heinous activities on others.
Showing pictures taken from the different places of the country on atrocities of BNP-Jamaat activists on police and innocent people and arson in transports, the Prime Minister said Khaleda Zia had vowed not to return home before ousting the government.
"But, she had to surrender before the court ending her 93-day siege and blockade programme on charge of misappropriating the fund of the orphans," Sheikh Hasina said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also criticized Begum Zia for her remarks that rural people are starving. A day-labourer now can buy 10 to 12 kg rice with his/her daily earning. "The government is distributing food free of cost to the ultra poor," she said.
Responding to the call from the Leader of the Opposition to take drastic action against the drug peddlers, human traffickers and food adulterers the Prime Minister said her government was always active against such social menace.
In the three-month long anti-government agitation by BNP-led 20-party alliance, 134 people were killed, 1395 vehicles were vandalised and 13 attacks were carried out on trains.
Khaleda Zia has been sued in five cases for instigating offenders to carry out arson attacks during the movement. Among the cases, three were filed in Dhaka.
She said distribution of Tk 21.73 crore is nearing completion among the injured and family members of those killed during the mayhem unleashed by the BNP-Jamaat clique.
Besides, some Tk 9,57,79,0140 has been distributed among the owners of some 860 vehicles that were burnt and vandalized by the BNP-Jamaat from the PM's Relief and Welfare Fund.
Besides, she said cheques worth Tk 7,21,12,000 would be distributed soon among the owners of some 285 damaged vehicles.