Terming the ruling party’s move to hold the general election under its own arrangement an undue plea, opposition BNP on Saturday alleged that the government sensing its sure debacle is trying to hold the next polls unilaterally using its muscle power.
“After their defeat in the elections to the city corporations they (Govt) have understood they can’t win the next election if it’s held under a non-party caretaker government. So, they’re now trying to arrange the polls under a party government by force,” BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a discussion.
“The Prime Minister will remain as Prime Minister while the Ministers as Ministers and MPs as MPs during the election, and will hold the polls under their supervision. Is it a plea of maternal uncle’s house? The people of the country won’t accept it,” he added.
The BNP leader claimed that his party will win the national election with more than two-thirds of the parliamentary seats if it is held right now under a non-party government.
BNP arranged the discussion at the Institution of Engineers marking its 35th founding anniversary that falls on Sunday.
BNP anchorperson Khaleda Zia was scheduled to be present at the programme as the chief guest but she did not attend it.
On September 1, 1978, late President Ziaur Rahman founded the party with a 19-point programme to build a self-reliant Bangladesh.
Fakhrul said the country’s democracy, independence and sovereignty will be at stake if the election is held under a partisan government. “People won’t accept any stage-managed polls without the restoration of the caretaker government.
The BNP spokesman asked the party leaders and activists to take all-out preparations to force the government to arrange the national election under a non-party government through a harder movement.
He also alleged that the government has filed many “false cases” against top BNP leaders, including party chief Khaleda Zia, senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, with an aim to keep them away from the election.
Fakhrul said the government has created a deep political crisis and pushed the country towards a dark tunnel by annulling the caretaker government system, which the country’s people had accepted wholeheartedly.
“The country’s people are anxious thinking where the country is heading towards. They’re uncertain whether the election will be held or again there’ll be violence and not bloodletting,” he added.
Criticising the government for what the BNP leader said politicising all the institutions and indulging in widespread corruption. “The government has destroyed democracy by politicising all the institutions. It also crippled the economy by looting and all-pervasive corruption.”
He was also critical of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her comment that everything from head to toe of Khaleda Zia is fake, saying her remarks indecent and devoid of political norms.
“The Prime Minister at a condolence meeting made indecent remarks against our leader (Khaleda). We condemn her ugly remarks,” Fakhrul said.
He also urged the Prime Minister to refrain from making indecent and nonpolitical remarks.
Addressing a public rally at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan on Friday, the premier said, “The opposition leader makes derogatory comment that my hair will be blown off by the wind of movement. I wear veil, so I can’t show her my hair. I don’t wear wig and what I’ve is real and not fake. As everything of her (Khaleda) from head to toe is fake, she has a chance to be blown off by wind. I’ve no such fear.”
Fakhrul also protested the Prime Minister and her ministers’ remarks that militancy will spread and the militants will raise their heads again if BNP returns to power. “Awami League always pampers militancy and uses it to gain their narrow political gains.”
Narrating various incidents of bomb blasts during the previous Awami League regime, the BNP spokesman claimed the militancy had emerged in the country during the rule of the ruling party.
Mentioning that the Prime Minister’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy in an article claimed that 35 percent members of Bangladesh army are militants, Fakhrul said, Awami League tries to identify the country as a militant state to destroy its potentials.
He claimed that they had captured all the militant kingpins and brought them to justice as BNP does not support militancy.
BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Mirza Abbas, Abdul Moyeen Khan, vice chairmen Abdullah Al Noman, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Selima Rahman, among others, addressed the programme.
The BNP leaders recalled the role of Ziaur Rahman and BNP in introducing multiparty democracy and developing the country and protecting democracy.
They all said the government must arrange the next polls under a non-party government to ensure a fair election with the participation of all parties.
The BNP leaders also threatened to launch a harsher movement if the government does not concede to their demand for restoration of the caretaker government and force it to do so.
Source: UNBConnect
