The BNP-led 18-Party Alliance has convened another spell of 72-hour nationwide road-rail-waterway blockade from 6am on Tuesday to demand for election under a non-party poll-time administration and postponement of schedule for the 10th parliamentary election. The blockade would continue till 6am Friday. BNP standing committee member, Nazrul Islam Khan, made the blockade announcement at a press conference at party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in the capital on Monday.
Khan alleged the government was preparing a drama in the name of the election ignoring the people’s demand for election under a non-party poll-time administration.
“Apprehending a total rout in the election, the ruling Awami League is trying to suppress the Opposition and hang on to power through the loyal state machinery, including the Election Commission,” he alleged.
“We are enforcing the blockade programme to restrain the government from staging a farcical general election and to ensure the people’s right to vote freely,” Khan claimed.
The BNP leader also criticised the government’s Cabinet decision to merge the ruling party’s youth and student fronts’ activists with the law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order. “Such a policy is illegal. The decision will have to be changed or politics of confrontation will increase alarmingly,” he cautioned.
Khan also assailed the government for holding its former alliance partner Jatiya Party chairman, HM Ershad, hostage in the name of treatment and said it is another of the government’s plots to cling to power through illegal means.
“Awami League leaders are visiting an ailing Ershad undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH). At the same time, AL men are also meeting Ershad’s followers to ensure their participation in the general election. The nation will never forgive the Awami League for its ugly politics,” he added.
“The BNP-led 18-party alliance has been agitating for an inclusive general election under a non-party caretaker oversight. But, the Opposition as well as the countrymen are being deprived of their democratic right to vote independently,” he alleged.
In his opinion, the government will not be able to ensure a safe exit if it does not change its decision to hold a lopsided national poll and postpone the poll schedule from January 5, as announced by the Election Commission.
Describing the government “dishonest” for declaring that at least 154 PM aspirants have already been elected unopposed, Khan added: “The government’s seat-sharing politics has been exposed before the nation and the countrymen will never pardon it.”
Replying to a question on the movement, Khan said: “Our movement is going on and would continue until there is any visible progress. The movement and dialogue would continue simultaneously.”
Responding to another query he, said: “We don’t see any positive change in the government’s stance yet to overcome the prevailing crisis. We will therefore continue with the anti-government campaign.”
Holding the government responsible for acts of sabotage during the blockade programme, he said the BNP will give up all sorts of anti-government campaigns if the government makes a formal announcement to accept the opposition’s demand.
“If our demand is not met, we shall be forced to go for a harsher programme soon,” he threatened.
The BNP has been carrying out blockades since November 26 after the Election Commission announced the parliamentary poll schedule on November 25. The 18-party alliance enforced a 14-day blockade in three phases that left at least 75 people dead. Now it is going to enforce the fourth spell of nationwide blockade.
-With The Independent input
