BNP vice chairman Selima Rahman on Tuesday claimed that the Prime Minister’s statements at Monday’s post-election press conference frustrated the nation.
“The nation was frustrated with the statement made by the Prime Minister at the press conference following the unilateral and farcical post-election,” she told a press briefing at her Gulshan residence.
Criticising the Prime Minister for calling the opposition’s democratic movement as terrorism, Selima said Sheikh Hasina’s threat to rein in the opposition with an iron hand will deepen the current crisis and destabilise the country.”
Selima who also lambasted Hasina for what she said justifying the ruling party leaders’ unusual wealth statement was detained by plainclothes police from her residence barely half-an-hour after the press conference.
“The way the Prime Minister tried to justify the statements on the ill-gotten wealth of ministers and ruling party leaders it not only surprised the nation but also encouraged the corrupt,” she said.
The BNP vice chairman urged the government to come to the path of compromise. “Still there’s time. Sit in talks cancelling the farcical election. Come to the path of compromise to restore normalcy in the country.”
Selima alleged that the ruling party activists were on the spree of casting fake votes and occupying polling stations as people boycotted the polls.
She said magistrates punished three assistant presiding officers in Brahmanbaria on charge of casting fake votes. “Not only that, different media reported the cadre son of the state minister for home himself cast 450 fake votes in Pabna.”
Mentioning there was very poor presence of voters at the polling stations, Selima said the voter turnout was not more that 5 percent until 1pm. “It’s now question of all how 40 to 50 votes were cast without the presence of voters by 2-4 pm.”
The BNP vice chairman also demanded resignation of the Election Commission and harshly criticised it for what she said the commission’s subservient role.
She claimed that police arrested over 300 opposition leaders and activists, including BNP chairperson’s adviser, advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, BNP organising secretary Fazlul Haque Milon and MP Naizmuddin Ahmed in the last 24 hours ending at 6pm on Tuesday.
Selima urged the government to take steps for holding a free, friar, credible and neutral election with participation of all through talks.
Source: UNB Connect
