The enforcers of the recent hartals would be prosecuted for murder after
investigation for the death of 12 people during the
opposition-sponsored 60-hour nationwide shutdown.
‘We think those who enforced the immoral shutdown cannot avoid the
responsibility of the killings. They are responsible for the killings.
We will prosecute them under sections 302, 304 and 307 after
investigation,’ said home minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir while speaking
on rule 300 in parliament.
The minister said 12 innocent people were killed, 167 people injured, 87
vehicles were torched and 109 more damaged by the strike enforcers.
He said the opposition was enforcing shutdown at the instruction of
their foreign lords. They are sparing examinations like O-level and
A-level under foreign authorities but ruining the academic life of
majority of the students who take examinations under local authorities,
he said.
Earlier, treasury bench member Abdul Matin Khasru and Jatiya
Samajtantrik Dal lawmaker Mainuddin Khan Badal wanted to know what
action the government was taking against those who were killing innocent
people in the name of enforcing hartal.
Badal said an orphan was killed in his constituency by strike enforcers
and he had found no answer despite being a representative of the people
in front of the mother who was wailing.
‘I feel like taking up arms to fight against these terrors,’ an angry Badal said.
Khasru said he had earlier called for prosecution of strike enforcers but no steps were taken.
Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir in response to Suranjit Sengupta said the
government would not allow anything that would threaten communal
harmony. ‘The government is taking appropriate measures so that
incidents like Ramu, Chandpur and Santhia do not recur,’ he said.
Suranjit citing reports from a newspaper condemned the attacks on Hindu
community in Santhia of Pabna. ‘Babul Saha was a rich trader and he came
under attack for his wealth. It cannot be accepted,’ he said. (source)