TEHRAN - Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stirred hornet’s nest by claiming that arch-rival Khaleda Zia was involved in killing her father and nation’s founder Mujibur Rahman.

A report published in Daily Star quoted her saying t that Zia was involved in the August 15 conspiracy to kill her father. “Zia’s wife [Khaleda] brought self-confessed killer of the Father of the Nation [Sheikh Mujibur Rahman] to Parliament by rigging votes.”

The Awami League (AL) chief made the remarks while addressing an event organised in connection with the 43rd anniversary of Mujib’s assassination. “What does it mean? It was not only Zia but also his wife was involved in the conspiracy of the August 15 carnage. There is no doubt,” Hasina said.

She said BNP founder Ziaur Rahman had obstructed a probe into the assassination. “Why did he obstruct the investigation if he had not been involved in the killing? Zia was fully involved.”

Commenting on protests that have rocked Dhaka and other cities in recent weeks, Hasina said they were “instigated”. “They wanted to create an abnormal situation in the country by instigating the students relentlessly,” she said, adding that those orchestrating the protests included noted intellectuals and pundits who were ‘Pakistani in spirit’.