Dhaka, May 6 (UNB) - Accusing the government of influencing court as police have kept the Supreme Court cordoned off, the BNP-led opposition lawmakers on Sunday said political confrontation will increase if the path of justice is closed.

Addressing a press conference at the Parliament Media Centre, BNP’s front-ranking leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed, MP said the accused cannot appear before the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail as police have kept the court cordoned off.

The press conference was organised to protest the government action implicating eight opposition MPs in two cases -- setting fire to a bus near PM’s office and bomb blasts at the Secretariat during hartal on April 29.

Modud alleged that the court is influenced by the government and said the government has made the country “a police state.”

Eight MPs implicated in the cases are MK Anwar, BJP chairman Andalib Rahman Partho, LDP president Oli Ahmed, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, Ashrafi Asifa Papia, Shammi Akhter, Rehana Akter Ranu and Nilufar Chowdhry Moni.

Modud said the image of parliament has been undermined by filing “false cases” against the lawmakers.

Replying to a question, he said they hoped that the Speaker will take initiatives to intervene in the matter. “Unfortunately, the Speaker did not take any such initiative.”

Opposition lawmakers, including Jafrul Islam Chowdhury, Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Nazimuddin Ahmed, Nazrul Islam Manju, Rumana Mahmud and Hamidur Rahman Azad were present at the press conference.