Dhaka: BNP vice chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu aired doubt whether two separate raids on militant dens in Gaipur have been carried out the same day to hush up a BCL activist’s reported attack on Sylhet college student Khadiza Akhter.

‘What will be your answer if anyone says you’ve brought it (drives against militants) to cover up Chhatra League leader Badrul’s incident? What’s going on in the name of drive against militancy is now questionable to people.’ he said.

The BNP leader came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion at National Press Club arranged by Jatiyatabadi Nagorik Dal demanding the withdrawal of all the conspiratorial cases against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman.

On Saturday, 12 suspected militants were killed in separate raids by law enforcers on four houses, including the ones in Gazipur.  

Dudu questioned why the government is not putting the extremists on trial instead of killing them. ‘It’s the duty of the police to arrest them (militants), not to gun them down. There’re courts to try them.’

He also wanted to know what message the government is trying to give people by resorting to extrajudicial killings of suspected militants.  

The BNP leader alleged that the government is brutally repressing and harassing BNP leaders and activists to cling to power.

He called upon the government to test its popularity by holding a fair election shunning its repressive cats.