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BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that the government is trying to eliminate opposition parties and destroy the democratic atmosphere by 'using' the court.
The BNP leader made the allegation on Tuesday in his reaction to the High Court verdict that doubled the jail term for former prime minister Khaleda Zia to 10 years in the Zia Orphanage Trust case, reports UNB.
Earlier on the day, the High Court scaled up the jail term to 10 years from five years for BNP chief Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
Describing the verdict as unusual, Fakhrul said their party has got stunned and surprised as the court extended party chairperson's jail term to 10 years from five years.
"The High Court order has made absolutely astonished. We think the verdict was given with a political motive, and we turn it down completely," he said.
Fakhrul also said people will judge in the future what the verdict should have been.
The BNP leader further said, "We think the government's desire has fully reflected in the unusual verdict."
"It has been exposed clearly that the government is in no way willing to hold a participatory election as they want to keep our leader (Khaleda) and acting chairman Tarique Rahman out of the polls and politics," he observed.
The BNP leader said they also think their ailing chairperson was given such punishment not only out of political vengeance, but also out of personal vengeance.
On February 8, the Special Court-5 sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the graft case.
The BNP chief is now undergoing medical treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
Earlier on Monday, a lower court in Dhaka sentenced Khaleda to seven years' rigorous imprisonment each in Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.
In protest against the lower court verdict, BNP announced a three-day countrywide programme.
As part of the programmes, the party stage demonstrations today (Tuesday) while it will form human chain programmes on Wednesday and observe a token mass-hunger strike on Thursday in all metropolitan cities and district towns.
Fakhrul did not announce any fresh programme on Tuesday in protest against the HC verdict as they have already pre-declared three-day programmes.
He, however, said they will give further action programmes from Jatiya Oikyafront's rally scheduled to be held in the capital on Friday.