Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina raises concern over killing of Awami League leaders

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed grave concern over the deaths of several Awami League leaders and activists across the country, accusing the current Bangladesh National Party (BNP) government of carrying forward a cycle of violence that began under the former interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. She stressed that the situation reflects a lack of commitment towards the rule of law amid the disturbing pattern of political violence. The remarks came after 78-year-old Md Dabirul Islam, a veteran freedom fighter and former Awami League lawmaker, died at Square Hospital in Dhaka on Thursday afternoon, just three months after being released on bail amid deteriorating health conditions. Expressing grief over Islam’s death, a former seven-time member of Parliament from the Thakurgaon-2 constituency, Hasina said that he also became a victim of the wrath of the former Yunus-led interim government.  “After suffering severe physical and mental torture that left him seriously ill, he was released on bail on February 19, effectively moving from a smaller prison to a larger one. However, his son, former MP Mazharul Islam Sujan, has still not been freed from the false charges.  (IANS)

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