The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Wednesday alleged that ruling Bangladesh Awami League men have been carrying out ‘armed hooliganism’ creating a reign of terror across the country in the run up to the next phase of Union Parishad (UP) elections, reports UNB news agency.
“About 45 people were killed and over 5,000 others injured in the first two phases of the UP polls as the ruling party men went on rampage,” alleged BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
“They once again started violent activities all over the country equipped with arms ahead of third and fourth phases of the local government body elections.”
The third phase of UP polls is scheduled to be held on 23 April while the fourth phase on 3 May.
Speaking at a press briefing at BNP’s Naya Paltan central office, he also said, “Panic has spread out to villages and localities as ruling party men are showing off strength brandishing arms openly. They keep on threatening BNP leaders and workers and voters to refrain them from going to polling stations.”
Rizvi alleged that the ruling party ‘cadres’ are attacking BNP candidates and their supporters and intimidating them in different areas, including Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Bandarban, Munshiganj, Gazipur and Bogra.
The BNP leader said their party was expecting that the next phases of election will be held in a peaceful manner as the Election Commission at a press note assured it. “But, still they didn’t take any visible step to this end.”
Rizvi said BNP has been in the election race despite massive violence and election manipulation and irregularities in the first two phases only to expose the government’s destructive, anti-democratic and anti-people attitude.
“We joined the polls as we wanted people to elect their representative freely. But, the illegal AL government is exposing how worse the election can be held under it,” the BNP leader observed.
Source: Prothom Alo
