"It was a planned political killing and we believe high-ups of the BNP-Jamaat-led ruling coalition were involved in it," said Hasina, also president of the main opposition AL, at an impromptu press briefing yesterday at her office in the city.

The government has arranged trial of some local leaders of the BNP who were directly involved in the killing of the lawmaker from Tongi, she said. "But it was not possible for local leaders to kill such a popular political figure without green signal from the BNP high command," she added pointing fingers at two top leaders of the party.

"We have witnessed similar strategy of the government in the charge sheet of the killing of Shah AMS Kibria (former finance minister) where only local BNP leaders have been accused of the killing but the mastermind saved," Hasina said.

The opposition leader however said the verdict has at least proved the BNP is involved in the killing of opposition leaders.

"We have been alleging for long that BNP high-ups are involved in killing prospective and popular Awami League leaders across the country but they denied it outright," said Hasina. "It is now proved in court that BNP leaders, whatever their party position, are involved in killing our (AL) leaders."

To unearth the conspiracy of killing Ahsanullah Master, she said, it was necessary to investigate whether the conspiracy was made at the residence of a top BNP leader's business partner at Gazipur, or a 'bhaban' in the capital was linked to the killing."

Asked whether she rejects the verdict, Hasina said," It is not a question of rejection or acceptance … What we are saying is we demand punishment of the mastermind to stop such killings in future."

Referring to the home ministry press note a few hours into the killing of Ahsanullah attributing it to internal feuds of the local AL, Hasina said, "The government tried to save the criminals from the very beginning."

She went on, "The home minister and other ministers also made statements in parliament blaming the killing of Ahsanullah on internal conflicts of Awami League.

But this verdict has also proved that BNP leadership lies and it always wants to blame her party for every crime."

Hasina also mentioned the grenade attacks on her rally in August last year, the British high commissioner to Bangladesh, AL leader Suranjit Sengupta, Sylhet Mayor Badruddin Ahmed Kamran, huge ammo hauls in Chittagong, Bogra and in Dhaka.

In all such incidents, the government tried to save the culprits by putting the blame on the opposition, she alleged.

AL on European Parliament resolution

On the European Parliament's resolution on Bangladesh, the opposition leader said it has properly projected the situation in the country.

She said the Members of the European Parliament (MEP), like the people of Bangladesh, felt that reforms in the caretaker government system and the Election Commission are urgently needed for a credible general election.

Asked about her party position on the MEPs' view that the opposition should join parliament, Hasina said, "We are eager to join the House but the government does not allow us to speak there for the people. They (government) kill our sitting lawmakers but we are not allowed to speak against the killings."

She said the AL will apprise the European Parliament of the happenings in Bangladesh, and its views concerning the Jatiya Sangsad.

Senior Awami League leaders, and Jahid Ahsan Russell MP, son of Ahsanullah Master, were present at the briefing.