In the wake of the BNP-led 20-party’s frequent threats to wage a strong movement after Eid, the government is reportedly planning to resist it through launching a drive to arrest BNP leaders and activists in old cases and intimidating them through police raids.
According to Home Ministry sources, the chiefs of different law enforcement agencies at a closed-door meeting with the state minister for home on Wednesday suggested reviving the cases filed against BNP leaders and activists in connection with violence during the oppositions’ movement before the January-5 election.
They opined that BNP’s post-Eid movement plan will not be successful if a countrywide drive is conducted just after the Eid to arrest BNP leaders and activists in the previous cases and intimidate them with frequent house raids and issuing threats to implicate them in fresh cases, the sources added.
According to the sources , the law enforcement agencies’ heads also suggested the minister taking measures to send orders to all police stations all over the country to revive the cases against BNP leaders and activists and start arresting them.
The chiefs of law enforcement agencies, including that of Rab and DMP, had the meeting with the minister at his Secretariat office after a meeting on law and order and Eid security held at the ministry.
Reacting to government’s plan, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “This is their (govt) old way of repressive policy. They have been doing this over the last five years. But we’re determined to carry out our movement braving all sorts of repressive acts and evil designs.”
The BNP leader said this government is trying to cling to power by resorting to repressive acts as it got isolated from people. “But no repressive regime could hang onto power for long against people’s will. This government must go in the face of our movement.”
Fakhrul said the government cannot resist their movement by arresting opposition leaders and activists and repressing them as the country’s 95 per cent people are against this administration.
Asked what will be their strategy if the government launch such a drive, the BNP spokesman said they have also their own plan to face it and will initiate their movement keeping all these odd things in their mind.
Meanwhile, the newply appointed nconvener of BNP’s Dhaka city unit committee, Mirza Abbas on Tuesday said their post-Eid movement will be peaceful unless the government obstructs it and shows undemocratic attitude.
“The government has got unnerved…There’ no reason to be worried. BNP is not an undemocratic and intolerant political party. We’ll carry out a peaceful movement,” he told an Iftar party hosted by Dhaka Medical College (DMC) unit Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB).
Abbas, who has been given the charge to wage a strong anti-government agitation in the capital, further said, ”Nothing will happen if you (govt) don’t carry out terrorist attack and shows violent attitude. You please don’t let loose your violent and terrorist forces to obstruct our movement and attack us.”
In his brief address, Abbas said this government assuming office with support from previous Indian Congress-led government is engaged in killing people, making them disappeared and repressing them.
Mentioning that the people of the country do not react easily, he warned that when they take to the streets they do not return without the final result.
The BNP leader urged the government to respond to the call of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia for holding a fresh election under a non-party government shunning tall talks.
Slamming Awami League leader Hasan Mahmud for his remark that BNP has a link with Israel’s attack on Palestine, Abbas said it was rather AL that has an indirect connection with the Jewish state.
“Israel had signed a defence deal with Indian Congress-led government. The Congress has also good ties with Awami League and backed it to grab power here. So, Awami League has also link with Israel,” the BNP leader claimed.
This was Abbas’ first appearance before public and media since BNP’s 52-member Dhaka city unit committee was announced on Monday.
Source: Weekly Holiday
