Dhaka, March 26 -- Those who persecuted the people of Bangladesh for the last 15-16 years, do not care about the first or second independence but the freedom of looting, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam said on Thursday.

"For those whose bank balances were intact, who have compromised and pursued opposition politics, this [July Uprising] may not seem like freedom. Because they have always been free, even in previous regimes. For them, neither the first nor the second independence is important. For them, the freedom to loot is important," the NCP chief said.

"Those who oppressed and persecuted us for the past 15-16 years, this is definitely independence. On 5 August, we became newly independent," he said while addressing...