There is no democracy in Bangladesh and it has been proved, the BNP has said after police stopped a meeting of the party from being held at Dhaka’s Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).
Chairperson Khaleda Zia was supposed to exchange views with dignitaries, journalists and foreign diplomats at the programme on Thursday, acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters.
“But this government has obstructed our meeting in a completely illegal and undemocratic way,” he said.
As the meeting was barred, Khaleda went to her Gulshan office and will give a speech from there in the evening, her Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told reporters.
BNP leaders will also hold a meeting Thursday night to finalise programmes protesting against the police obstruction.
The law enforcers at first blocked organisers from entering the IEB premises in the afternoon, but later they also locked up the auditorium’s gate too saying the BNP did not have the permission to hold the meeting.
Many noted citizens, editors, senior journalists and foreign envoys were invited to the view-exchange meeting called in protest against a recent spate of abductions and murders.
Hearing about the developments, Fakhrul came to IEB at noon and sent three senior leaders including Joint Secretary General Barkat Ullah Bulu to the office of Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner.
After their efforts to secure permission failed, Fakhrul told reporters, “This is the proof how this illegal government is denying basic rights.”
The party had obtained permission from the IEB authorities several days ago for the meeting, he said, adding that they had also written to the DMP.
The BNP leaders including Fakhrul waited at the IEB main gate until 4pm.
They and the party activists left around 4:45pm after speaking with the journalists.
Source: Bd news24
