It slams govt for obstructing its black-flag progressions
Claiming that the 10th parliament has been constituted through farcical and stage-managed unilateral polls and without following the due process, BNP on Wednesday said the sitting of the House began with some ‘clowns’.
“The 10th parliament has been constituted through irregularities when another parliament was in place. Experts are calling this parliament as the house of clowns. And its first session began today with clowns,“ said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
The BNP leader came up with the remarks at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Fakhrul also harshly criticised the government for obstructing and attacking their peaceful black-flag progressions at different parts of the country, including in the capital.
The BNP-led 19-party’s programme was meant for registering their protest against the first sitting of the 10th parliament formed following the January 5 elections held amid boycott by BNP and its alliance partners.
But the alliance could not stage the programme in the city as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) denied them permission.
Fakhrul alleged that the law enforcers attacked their peaceful black-flag processions at various parts of the country without any provocation.
He claimed that a Jubo Dal leader, Piarul Islam, was killed in Satkhira as police opened fire on a party procession there.
The alliance’s spokesmen also claimed that many leaders and activists of the alliance were injured in the police attacks.
Besides, he said, police arrested a number of their leaders and activists across the country.
Fakhrul alleged that like other parts of the country, police also attacked their leaders and activists at different wards in Dhaka city when they tried to observe the programme at their respective wards, being denied by Dhaka Metropolitan Police to hold the black-flag procession on the city streets.
He lamented that though they are consciously trying to avoid violent programmes and political violence, the government is not giving them any space to hold the peaceful programmes and exercise their democratic rights.
The BNP leader alleged that the government after returning to power without people’s mandate through a farcical election has become more aggressive and increased its degree of repression and oppression on the opposition.
Fakhrul alleged that the government has resorted to all possible measures to annihilate the opposition to cling to power.
The BNP spokesman said the current regime is indiscriminately killing opposition leaders and activists across the country as it has no responsibility to protect people’s lives and property. “The secrete and extrajudicial killings have broken all the previous records. The bodies of both identified and unidentified people are being found here and there all over the country every day. Even a decomposed body was found at Dhaka University.”
He regretted that Awami League being alienated from people and politically bankrupt has resorted to state power and arms to hang onto power.
Fakhrul said they are still trying to carry out their movement in a peaceful manner to mobilize public opinion both at the home and abroad against this regime and force it to arrange a fresh inclusive and credible election.
He urged the pro-liberation and pro-democratic forces to raise their voice against the government’s repressive acts, undemocratic, fascist and autocratic attitude.
The BNP leader also urged the media to give due importance to the incidents of extrajudicial killings and the repressive acts to force the government to behave democratically.
Replying to a query, Fakhrul said no country has legitimised the new government. “As we know the western countries in their statements expressed dissatisfaction over the January 5 elections and demanded fresh polls.”
He, however, said many countries congratulated the Prime Ministers of the so-called government as diplomatic norms. “But no one has given it validity.”
Fakhrul also came down hard on Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu for asking Khaleda to shun violence if she wants to do politics. “His remark about our leader (Khaleda) was devoid of political norms. We hope he’ll make comments with due respect about our leader who is a three-time Prime Minister.”
Source: UNB Connect
