Bangladesh Nationalist Party -- BNP's senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Thursday (Feb 8) said the current senior Vice-Chairman of BNP, Tarique Rahman will run the party in absence of Begum Khaleda Zia. Nazrul said this while talking to media outside courtroom after the BNP Chairperson was given five years’ jail time in the verdict of Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
According to the party constitution, the Senior Vice-Chairman of BNP -- Tarique Rahman (now in London) will become the acting chair of the party and he will give instruction to rum the party, local media reports said quoting Nazrul from the spot.
Earlier on the day, Khaleda has been jailed for five years after she was found guilty in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. Her eldest son Tarique Rahman and four others have been given 10 years in the case and a fine of Tk 2.10 crore each in the politically significant case ahead of the parliamentary election.
Meanwhile, BNP has announced a nationwide programme for Friday (Feb 9) in protest of jailing their Chairperson Khaleda Zia. The party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the announcement at BNP’s Nayapaltan headquarters and said further programmes will be declared later.
