Reaffirming that their grand rally will be held peacefully, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday urged people from all walks of life to participate in it, to send a message to Awami League to step down and hand over power to a neutral government.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, the BNP leader also warned that the government will be held responsible if it or the ruling party commirs any excesses or creates any obstacles to the rally.
Fakhrul also said they will wait until the last moment if needed, for permission to hold the rally at Nayapaltan and then make a decision in this regard.
“We want to hold a rally at Nayapaltan as we sent a letter to the DMP in this regard. We’ll hold this rally in a completely peaceful manner, he said.
The BNP leader said their party still did not get any letter from the DMP permitting the party to hold the programme at Nayapaltan. “We still hope that they (DMP) will not create any obstacles and they’ll help to remove all kinds of obstacles in the grand rally.”
He said the main objective of their rally is to mount pressure on the current regime to quit and hand over power to a non-partisan government. “We also want good sense to prevail upon the government to create a favourable atmosphere for a fair election by accepting our one-point demand.”
"The biggest thing is that there is no favourable environment for elections in the country,” the BNP secretary general said.
Replying to a question, he said the BNP does not fear of any violence as their party did similar programmes peacefully in the past.
Fakhrul, however, alleged that the ruling party leaders are making various provocative statements like taking to the streets with sticks.
He said the government is trying to hold the entire people hostage with its repressive policy and using the police administration.
Under the circumstances, he called upon the people from across the country to join the BNP rally to restore their voting rights, freedom of expression and their other democratic rights and establish a free and livable society and state.
“On behalf of BNP, we sincerely urge the people to come and join our grand rally on Saturday and to send out a message to the government to quit and not to stay in power anymore,” the BNP leader said.
He alleged that the government has turned the country into a failed state by destroying all state institutions and the economy and by resorting to plundering and siphoning off money abroad.
Fakhrul claimed that around 1,350 of their party’s leaders and activists were arrested in just for days from last Monday to 11 am Friday, centring its planned grand rally.
He also said at least 330 opposition leaders and activists were arrested in different parts of the country in the last 24 hours as of Friday 11am.
The BNP leader also said 18 ‘false cases’ were filed against the BNP leaders and activists during the period
Besides, he said 4,020 BNP leaders and activists were arrested while 28,570 were implicated in 418 cases and nine BNP leaders were sentenced to death and 90 others were sentenced to different terms since July 27 this year.
“Sheikh Hasina (Prime Minister) said in Brussels that there would be a very beautiful election as the government was creating a favourable environment for that election. But our leaders and workers are being arrested and their houses are being raided every night. The worst thing is that our leaders are being sentenced by using the judiciary,” Fakhrul said.
He said the government has turned the election system into a farce by resorting to serious repressive acts and establishing its control on the electoral process.
“Our position is clear that the people of this country will not accept any election without a neutral non-partisan government,” the BNP leader said.
He said the Awami League government has no intention to hold a truly participatory, impartial and acceptable election. “That is why they have created a reign of terror across the country to unilaterally conduct the election without the participation of the opposition parties. But people have woken up and taken to the streets this time to realise their demands and establish their rights.”
Fakhrul, on behalf of BNP, expressed solidarity with the movement of the readymade garments workers, demanding an increase in the minimum wages, urging owners to accept it.
MSH
