Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahabub-Ul-Alam Hanif yesterday claimed that the BNP-Jamaat alliance financed Hefazat-e-Islam’s long march to Dhaka on April 6.
The AL leader also blamed opposition leader Khaleda Zia for her involvement in the funding scheme.
The long march was staged as an act of sabotage to destablise the country and oust the government, he alleged.
The AL joint general secretary was addressing an anti-hartal rally at Karwan Bazar, organised by Jatiya Sramik League.
In his address, Hanif, also the special assistant to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, quoted a national daily as saying the BNP-Jamaat alliance spent Tk0.85b on the recent Hefazat long march.
About the fund distribution, Hanif categorically said the money was distributed in the Daily Amar Desh office and Hefazat leaders received Tk0.45b of the total Tk.085b.
The Amar Desh acting editor Mahamudur Rahman himself got Tk0.04b.
“You (Khaleda) were prime minister for two terms. You have some responsibilities to your countrymen. How could you play your part in the conspiracy?” Hanif asked.
He continued, “You also conspired against the government by writing a defamatory column about it in The Washington Post. This time you again tried to create anarchy by misleading Hefazat men.
“Your conspiracy is now revealed to your countrymen”.
Referring to the BNP-led 18 party’s 36-hour hartal, Hanif said that any political party has the right to enforce shutdown, but people have the right to reject it.
Creating anarchy in the name of strike cannot be a part of political activities, he said, adding that the 18-party’s hartal is illogical.
The anti-hartal rally was presided over by Jatiya Sramik League president Shukur Mahmud. al leaders Habibur Rahman Siraj, Sramik League vice-president Hafiz Uddin and general secretary Sirajul Islam were those who spoke at the event.
