BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam yesterday accused the government of resorting to unprecedented autocratic path to foil the opposition’s ‘March for democracy’. In a statement, he said that the government stopped the movement of vehicles, rails and vessels in the last two days in bid to foil their programme. The BNP leader also said the mass arrest in every district and the ruling party activists’ attacks on opposition activists at different places prove that the government wants to establish the one-party BKSAL-like rule.
He said that the government has kept Khaleda confined to her Gulshan residence since Saturday night and resisted her from joining their scheduled programme by showing disregard to all norms and principles of democracy.
Fakhrul also said that the Dhaka march will continue tomorrow (Monday) in protest of the government confining Khaleda Zia at her home, killing a student leader and the attacks on people by ruling party elements.
The 18-party alliance will also observe sit-in programmes
at divisional headquarters, district and upazila levels on the same ground on the day, he added. Terming the ongoing movement peaceful and democratic, the BNP leader warned that if the programme is obstructed the government has to take responsibility for whatever situation that arises.
Meanwhile, at a press conference at the National Press Club before his arrest, Hafizuddin said, “Syed Ashraful’s remark about the opposition leader is nothing but a delirium. We want to tell him to hold a rally removing law enforcers and then people will see whose rally draws how many people.”
Hafiz also alleged that the AL general secretary made indecent remarks about the opposition leader’s dress-up. “We condemn it.”
He further said Awami League’s attempts to obstruct BNP’s March for Democracy programme proved once again that they are not a democratic party.
“They (AL) had annihilated democracy in 1975 by establishing BAKSAL. Again they are going to repeat it by holding a lopsided and voter-less polls on January 5,” he said.
Hafiz also denounced the attacks on journalists, lawyers and Dhaka University teachers allegedly by the ruling party men as the groups tried separately to join the opposition’s programme.
-With The Independent input
