BNP-Jamaat behind Tuesday's anarchy: Hasan Mahmud

The BNP and Jamaat desired to see dead bodies in the country in an effort to catch fish in murky water amid quota protests in the country, resulting in the death of six persons on Tuesday, Foreign Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Hasan Mahmud said today (17 July).

"BNP-Jamaat terrorists were behind the evil efforts to create anarchy across the country," he said while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion at Jatiya Press Club.

Hasan said the government is sympathetic towards general students.

He said the current programme is being carried out on the prescription of BNP-Jamaat, and six persons have been killed because of their politics over dead bodies.

Mentioning that buses were set on fire, motorcycles were vandalised, and metro rail station was attacked yesterday, Hasan said, "These are not the work of general students. BNP-Jamaat came in and did these unruly activities."

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sympathises with students. Those who distorted the prime minister's speech and raised slogans in favour of razakars in Dhaka University are being identified. They do not have the spirit of the Liberation War," he added.

Hasan said BNP-Jamaat is trying to destabilise the country by relying on the programme of the quota movement.

"We will not let that happen. Tarique Rahman ordered to infiltrate the movement," he said.

Hasan said the movement is longer in the hands of agitating students. "It has been sntached away. Your leaders are sold out. BNP-Jamaat wanted dead bodies. They got that. Their cadres carried out terrorist activities and killed 6 people."

Hasan said the government is investigating, and action will be taken against those involved as per law. 

"And the issue of quota is pending in the Supreme Court. The government cannot interfere here. So please wait until the final verdict. The government sympathises with you."

Saying that students started the quota movement without understanding the issue, the minister said that in view of the earlier demands of the students, the government cancelled the quota system in government jobs out of sympathy for them.

"The last few BCS exams were completely without quota," he said.

"General students are being misled. BNP-Jamaat entered there and fixed the program for the quota movement," he said.

Hasan said BNP-Jamaat gangs have come down with sticks and firearms in the entire country, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangpur, and in Chattogram they have cut off people's veins.

"Chhatra League workers were thrown off from the roof of a six-storey building in Chattogram. They attacked them with firearms. Three people were killed in Chattogram," he said.