Dhaka: BNP on Saturday demanded an international probe under the UN’s supervision into the subversive acts carried out during the blockade and hartal enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance in the first three months of this year to identify the real perpetrators.

Giving his party’s reaction to the Prime Minister’s remark that a tribunal to be formed to try Khaleda Zia for indulging in subversive acts, BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon came up with the demand at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

He said, ‘We’ve long been demanding an international investigation into the allegations raised by the Prime Minister and her government regarding the violence. We’re renewing our demand following the Prime Minister’s recent comment on it.’

Justifying their demand for the international probe, Ripon said, ‘The government is blaming BNP and its chairperson Khaleda Zia for the supervise acts while we’re claiming BNP did not do it and we have no connection with it.’

Under the circumstances, he said, ‘We want an international probe committee to be formed under the United Nations’ supervision to identify the real culprits as we can’t expect a fair and neutral investigation by any government probe body or agency.’

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Parliament said, ‘There’s a provision under section-27 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 for constituting anti-terrorism tribunals. The government has planned to set up such tribunals in line with the provision.’

The cases filed against Khaleda and her associates would be tried under the act, she said.

The BNP spokesman criticised the government for what he said threatening their party chairperson Khaleda Zia to try her under a special tribunal and accusing the party of carrying out subversive acts only to make political gains. ‘But the fact is that neither BNP chairperson nor any leader of the party had involvement in subversive acts. Our party believes in democracy, not in subversive acts.’

As his attention was drawn to the BNP chief’s remarks accusing police of hurling petrol bombs and torching vehicles during the party’s movement, Ripon said Khaleda surely brought the allegation with responsibility based on fact. ‘If an international probe is carried out then real culprits will be identified that will also prove the BNP chairperson’s allegation.’

He warned the government that it will not bring anything good for democracy if the government tries to annihilate the opposition implicating them in ‘false’ charges without a fair probe.