BNP demands accused ruling party MP's arrest

The BNP yesterday demanded immediate arrest of Manzurul Islam Liton, Awami League lawmaker from Gaibandha-1, who allegedly shot a 10-year-old boy in the district on Friday.

Pointing to the killing of a Japanese citizen in Rangpur, the party also lambasted the government for its "failure" to ensure foreigners' security in Bangladesh and said such incidents were taking place due to "the absence of good governance and law and order".

"With grave concerns we want to say that the ruling party has turned the country into a safe haven for criminals. People are insecure both at their home and outside.

"Even the children are regularly falling victims to criminal activities unleashed by the ruling party men and MPs elected through polls without voters," Asaduzzaman Ripon, spokesperson for the BNP, told a press briefing at party's Nayapaltan central office in the capital.

According to him, Sourav Mia was shot in the legs in Gopalcharan village at Sundarganj of Gaibandha on Friday by such a lawmaker.

On the killing of Japanese national Hoshi Kunio, 66, Ripon said," It's a matter of grave concern that two foreigners have been killed in the last few days. Country's law and order has deteriorated due to the government's despotic rule."   

Just five days after the murder of an Italian aid worker, Cesare Tavella, in the capital's Gulshan diplomatic zone, Hoshi, who worked for a farming project, was shot dead by unknown assailants in Rangpur's Kaunia upazila around 10:00am yesterday. 

In another programme in the city, BNP Vice Chairman Abdullah Al Noman yesterday termed the current situation in the country "alarming" and urged the government to hold roundtables with all political parties to overcome the "national crisis".