Project Canadian court verdict that labelled BNP as a terrorist organisation: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed Awami League lawmakers to project before the people a Canadian court verdict that labelled BNP as a terrorist organisation.

The prime minister gave the directives while addressing a meeting of AL Parliamentary Party (ALPP) in the treasury bench room at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban yesterday evening.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Leader of the House and AL president, asked the party MPs to highlight Canada's Ontario Superior Court judgment that dismissed an international bribery case linked to the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project, meeting sources said.

The prime minister suggested the lawmakers to take preparation for the next parliamentary polls and project the development activities that took place in the last three and a half years.

She also advised them to maintain the unity of the party and increase involvement with the grassroots leaders and workers.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said there is a report on every lawmaker in her hand, and nomination for the next election would be given by examining the report.

"Those who have more involvement with public would get party nomination," the sources quoted the premier as saying.

The AL chief urged the lawmakers to collect statistics from the election office and analyse the voting difference with their rival candidates who contested the last parliamentary polls.

The Canadian court has observed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the BNP is, or was, a terrorist organisation.

"BNP unleashed terrorist acts in Bangladesh by calling hartals, which created significant economic disruption, as well as incidents of violence," it said.

Meanwhile, an Ontario Superior Court justice in Canada dismissed an international bribery case linked to the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project at the prosecution's request.

The court also acquitted three former top executives of SNC-Lavalin -- Kevin Wallace, Ramesh Shah, and Zulfiquar Ali Bhuiyan as no proof of bribery conspiracy was found in the case.

Earlier on June 2012, the World Bank (WB) cancelled its 1.2 billion US dollar credit for the Padma bridge project bringing a charge of having evidence of a "corruption conspiracy".

Source: BSS