The BNP has said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directive to stop ‘violence’ at any cost during the ongoing countrywide transport blockade will deepen the current political crisis.
In a statement on Thursday, the party asked whether ‘any cost’ would result in more bodies ‘floating in rivers, canals and marshlands’.
It said: “Annihilation and arson by joint forces will go on in villages one after another, and after the murder of numerous leaders and activists, stories of gunfight would be told.”
The prime minister asked top police officials at a meeting at her office on Tuesday to control violence ‘at any cost’ and said: “There’s should be no hesitation, no two ways about it. I will take the responsibility for the consequences.”
Her instruction came amid the violence that has left least 40 people dead and over 200 injured, mostly in incidents of arson, since Jan 5, when BNP chief Khaleda Zia called the indefinite blockade.
Expressing concern over the instruction, the BNP statement sent by its Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said: “We think prime minister’s this sort of statement will further deepen the present crisis.”
The BNP-led 20-Party Alliance described the the present situation as a ‘political crisis’ and has urged the government to hold a dialogues to end it.
But the ruling Awami Leagues has dismissed the suggestion, saying there is no political crisis in the country.
Rizvi said the alliance would continue its blockade.
“We want to say that despite the government’s massive attacks, (alliance) leaders and activists will keep observing the peaceful blockade with their vigorous voice,” he said.
The government is blaming blockade supporters for the violence, but the BNP is claiming government ‘agents’ are carrying out the arson attacks.
The BNP leader said: “Burning innocent people by hurling petrol bombs is not merely inhuman but those involved in these acts are persons of beastly conscience. But the blame for these heinous acts is being passed to opposition party.”
Source: Bd news24
