Main opposition BNP and allies announced Tuesday that they would hold countrywide demonstrations on July 23 to press the demand for the repeal of the 15th amendment to the Constitution which abolished the election time non party caretaker government and to push other issues.
BNP said that it would also protest against Awami League led government’s conspiracy to eliminate the opposition to remain in power perpetually.
BNP said that the Awami League led government’s 15th Constitution amendment designed to cling to power by holding rigged elections under |
its own supervision was not acceptable to the nation.
It said that the 15th amendment snatched the people’s right to franchise.
BNP said that the Awami League led government was out to eliminate the opposition so that it could remain in power permanently.
BNP said that the Awami League led government hatched a conspiracy against Zia family so that it could continue in power without any opposition.
BNP said that with the same objective the government issued arrest warrant against BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman under supplementary charge sheets.
The opposition demonstration would also protest against recent police brutality on the opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque.
The opposition would hold the demonstrations in protest against all these issues in all divisional and district towns across the country on July 23, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced at a news briefing after a joint meeting at the central office of the party at Naya Paltan.
In Dhaka, he said, BNP would take out the protest procession from the party’s central office.
He said that the government was obstructing opposition political activities.
He hoped that the government would not obstruct the opposition programmes on July 23.
He said that the government that would be held responsible for obstructing the peaceful programmes of the opposition.
He said that Awami League government’s constitution amendment curbed freedom of expression and religion.
Mirza Fakhrul said that the government was using the newly incorporated Article 7 (Ka) in the 15th amendment to the constitution to file sedition cases.
Fakhrul said the ongoing movement of BNP seeks to restore the democratic and other rights of the people taken away
by the ‘fascist and autocratic’ Awami League led regime.
He said that the Awami League led government utterly failed to implement the pledges it made to the people before the election.
He said that for its anti people activities Awami League led government has become isolated from the people.
Fakhrul said that headed for a certain defeat in the next election, the Awami League led government misused its brute majority in parliament to hurriedly abolish the election time non- party caretaker government system through the 15th amendment to the constitution so that it could hold rigged elections under in own supervision.
He said Awami League wants to remain in power perpetually.
BNP vice chairmen Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Abdullah Al Noman, chairperson’s advisers Shamsuzzman Dudu and Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, joint secretaries general Amanullah Aman, Salahuddin Ahmed and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi were present at the news briefing.
Jamaat acting secretary general ATM Azharul Islam announced a similar programme at a news conference at the party’s central office at Maghbazaar.
Islami Oikya Jote secretary general Abdul Latif Nejami told New Age that they would announce the same programme today.
-With New Age input
