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The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) holds a protest rally across the country today (Friday) as part of denouncing a court verdict against the party's supremo Tarique Rahman and his spouse.
The rally is being staged in protest against Wednesday's judgment against BNP's acting chairman and his wife Zubaida Rahman in a graft case of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam announced to the media the holding of the programme during a press briefing at Nayapaltan on Thursday.
He said BNP and its associate bodies would jointly hold the rally at all district towns and in metropolitan cities after Friday's Juma prayers.
In Dhaka, according to him, the rally will be held at in front of the party's Nayapaltan headquarters after Juma prayers.
"The verdict was handed down on political grounds and it won't hamper our ongoing anti-government movement," he uttered emphatically.
Mr Fakhrul accused the government of using the judiciary as a tool to harass the opponents, saying: "The government is trying to push the nation towards a path of permanent violence and uncertainty."
He said the verdict was given against the person, who is spearheading this one-point movement, only to question his leadership.
"But the government won't be able to stop this movement. People won't return home until they realise their demand," asserted Mr Fakhrul.
He further said that Awami League leaders were acquitted in similar cases, whereas Tarique Rahman was given a jail sentence.
Tarique Rahman's wife Zubaida Rahman, who does not do politics, was also given a jail term, he said.
Referring to a total of 15 cases filed against Sheikh Hasina during Fakhruddin Ahmed's emergency period, Mr Fakhrul alleged that all lawsuits were later withdrawn.
The BNP secretary also condemned attacks on Nurul Haque Nur, president of a faction of Gono Odhikar Parishad, allegedly by Chhatra League activists on Wednesday afternoon.
Tarique Rahman was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment and Zubaida Rahman a three-year jail sentence in a graft case filed in 2007.
Judge Md Asaduzzaman of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court delivered the verdict in their absence.
Mr Tarique was also fined Tk 30 million, in default of which he will have to serve three more months in jail.
The court fined Ms Zubaida Tk 3.5 million, in default of which she will have to serve one more month in prison.
BNP stalwarts Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moin Khan, Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury, Barkatullah Bulu and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, among others, were present at the briefing.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com