Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) leader and Cumilla-4 MP Hasnat Abdullah on Monday alleged that the ruling BNP government is following the path of the Awami League by attempting to control the judiciary and use police for partisan purposes.
He made the remarks at a press conference held at Payra Chattar in Jhenaidah town over the overall situation surrounding the alleged attack on NCP leader Nasir Uddin Patwari, counter cases between NCP and Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and subsequent arrests.
Hasnat Abdullah claimed that the government has started interfering in the independent judicial system.
“The current BNP government has started walking on the path of the Awami League. They are trying to use police as a party-backed force,” he said.
“Everything in district courts - what verdict will be delivered, who will get bail - is being controlled from Dhaka like a remote control system,” he alleged.
Referring to Jhenaidah as the district of the law minister, Hasnat said it was unfortunate that the legal and judicial system there had become “captive in the hands of a section of the government.”
He further alleged that police and the judiciary are being operated according to the government’s political agenda.
“After the July mass uprising, we hoped police would become a force for the people. But now we are seeing senior police officials identifying themselves as supporters of the ruling party. It is shameful,” he said.
Expressing frustration, the NCP leader warned that the government would face consequences if it continued what he described as the Awami League’s style of governance.
“The Awami League had to leave due to public anger for using the judiciary, courts and police as tools to implement party agendas. If this government tries to become like the Awami League, we will not accept it,” he added.
Hasnat also said political forces including BNP, NCP and Jamaat are now fighting among themselves while the Awami League “is sitting in India and laughing.”
Following the press conference, NCP leaders and activists brought out a protest procession from Payra Chattar, which paraded through different important roads in the town.
