Bangladesh
Tarique Rahman's Extradition Talks on with British government to extradite Tarique back: Information Minister
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, 3 August 2023: Awami League Joint General Secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud has said that talks are going on with the British government to return BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman to the country. He said this during an exchange of views with journalists in the conference room of the Ministry of Information at the Secretariat on Thursday afternoon.
In response to the question whether Tarique Rahman will be brought back to the country to implement the verdict, he said, "We have discussed this matter with the British government. Discussions are ongoing."
Referring to the sentence of Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman, Hashan Mahmud said, "BNP held a press conference and gave a program. This case was not filed by our government. This case was filed by their preferred caretaker government in 2007."
He further said, "Iajuddin Sahib was Khaleda Zia's party man, Khaleda Zia and BNP made him president. Fakhruddin Sahib was brought in from Washington and made the chief adviser of the caretaker government. That government was supported by the army. The then army chief was replaced by Khaleda Zia's army, overtaking seven others in line. This case is only when people of their choice are in power. If our government was vindictive then we would have done the case ourselves. And we did not have to wait 14 years for the judgment of the case."
Pointing out that the BNP has no faith in the courts of law, the minister said, "They do not care about anything. They only go to foreigners, we do not go to foreigners, foreigners come to us in need."
In response to a question about the ban on Tariq Rahman's speech, the Information Minister said, "There was a ruling in this regard earlier that no speech of Tariq Rahman can be broadcast in newspapers or on television. The mainstream media does not broadcast any speech of Tariq Rahman. But sometimes some people are wrong. By doing and social media, broadcasting on YouTube channels. I think because these were happening, the court again gave the supplementary judgment. If anyone disturbs it, it will definitely be contempt of court. If there is contempt of court, the court will take action in that case."
BNP alleged that Tariq and Zubaida were sentenced before the elections to vacate the leadership of BNP. To a question about this, the information minister said, "We did not file this case. If the government had done something on its own, then we would not have had to wait for 14 and a half years for the judgment of this case."
