BNP forms panel to probe attack on Oikya Parishad's Cumilla procession

The BNP has formed a five-member committee to investigate the recent attack on a procession of the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad ahead of Durga Puja.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within the next 7 days.

Members of the BNP Standing Committee formed the probe committee at their virtual meeting on Monday, said a party press release signed by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday. 

The members of the committee are party vice-chairman Barkat Ullah Bulu, advocate Nitai Roy Chowdhury, chairperson's advisory council member Bijan Kanti Sarkar, legal affairs secretary barrister Kaiser Kamal and Supreme Court Bar Association's former secretary Ruhul Quddus Kajal.

Earlier on 13 October, at least seven people were injured in an attack reportedly by the Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League during a protest march of parishad in Cumilla.

Fakhrul said the BNP standing committee strongly condemned and protested the attack.

"The Standing Committee feels that the government is perpetrating such attacks on the religious minority community to make their nefarious political gains by shifting the blame onto the opposition parties, including the BNP," he said.

The BNP leader said their meeting urged all concerned to remain alert to prevent such attacks on the minority community.

Fakhrul said the BNP standing committee also protested and denounced the arrest of party Publicity Secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie late at night breaking the door of his Dhanmondi house and then taking him into custody.

He said their meeting discussed that at least 24 leaders of the party's national executive committee have been arrested while 96 party leaders and workers have been sentenced and many others were implicated in false cases across the country over the last six months.

The BNP policymakers demanded the immediate release of all arrested and jailed leaders and activists, including Annie, Fakhrul said.