"We, the politicians, have to take lessons from the judgment," AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said during a press briefing at party chief Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhanmondi.
"There is no reason to be excited about the verdict. I am personally unhappy."
The leader continued, "The judgment proves we have to suffer dire consequences if we fail to make our children good human beings. We, who only remain busy in politics, do not feel the need to make our sons and daughters good human beings."
On Wednesday, Koko, younger son of Opposition Leader
Khaleda ZiaThree-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ...
, and Ismail Hossain Saimon, son of former shipping minister late Akbar Hossain, were sentenced to six years' rigorous imprisonment for laundering more than Tk 20 crore to Singapore.
This is the first ever verdict in any case against a member of the Zia family.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda and her two sons -- Tarique Rahman and Koko -- stand accused in 22 cases, nineteen of which were filed during the rule of last caretaker regime and three during the present government's tenure.
Immediately after the verdict, BNP termed the judgment "absolutely politically motivated".
However,
death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate...
Syed Ashraf, also LGRD and cooperatives minister, said the government did not have a hand in the judgment. The main opposition's allegation is false and baseless, he said.
The FBI gave information to the Anti-Corruption Commission on Koko's money laundering during the last caretaker government's tenure. The ACC filed the case against Koko on March 17, 2009.
"As the case has not been filed by the present government, there is no scope of political mudslinging over the issue," Ashraf said.
The minister said it is sad that the son of freedom-fighter and late president Ziaur Rahman and two-time Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been found corrupt. It is no good news for anyone.
If Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia had been careful about their sons, this unexpected situation could have been averted, said Ashraf, also the spokesperson of the AL-led grand alliance government.
He said there is still scope for going to High Court over the matter and he would be happy if Koko comes out clean at the HC.
AL leaders Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Dipu Moni, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin, Afzal Hossain and Mrinal Kanti Das, among others, were present at the briefing.