Govt trying to keep BNP out of politics: Fakhrul

UNB, Dhaka :BNP on Saturday alleged that the government is conspiring to keep the party away from politics and election by implicating its top leaders in ‘false’ cases.”The government has filed false cases one after another against Khaleda Zia. Cases have also been filed against our senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman. Now they’ve also implicated him in the August 21 grenade attack case,” said BNP spokesman Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.Addressing a discussion, he further said, “The government is doing all these things with a motive to keep BNP out of politics so that it can’t take part in elections.” National daily the Amar Desh organised the programme marking the 500th day of its acting editor Mahmudur Rahman’s imprisonment.Fakhrul, also the BNP acting secretary general, said his party had condemned the Aug 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the city in 2004 soon after the incident and they still denounce it. “But, it’s unfortunate that the Prime Minister has recently said BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman and the then cabinet members were involved in the incident.”Criticising the government for involving the BNP leaders in the grenade attack incident, he said the government has implicated Tarique Rahman in the case just to confuse people. The BNP leader also lambasted the government for what he said its repressive policy. “They (govt) snatched opposition’s right to speak in a bid to illegally hang onto power. And that’s not the end. The government is now trying to stifle the media with the broadcast policy.”Opposing the government’s move to restore parliament’s power to impeach the Supreme Court judges, he said the step was taken to establish absolute control over the judges and the judiciary.”They’re still in fear even after appointing most judges of their choice whether any judge further orders the arrest of the killers like that of Narayanganj seven-murderer incident. They’re amending the constitution so that no judge in the future can go against their will,” Fakhrul observed.Mentioning that the current regime is still holding office with the help of law enforcers, he said the Awami League government is now making various laws and policies to cling to power as it has got isolated from people.The BNP spokesman said the government is so desperate to hang onto power that it is singing the song of democracy regularly with those whom had tried to throw the body of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman into the Bay of Bengal after his assassination in 1975.”People have got fed up with the misrule of this regime and they’re eagerly waiting to get rid of it,” he added. Terming Mahmudur Rahman a brave man, Fakhrul said the government is brutally repressing him with a political motive.”There’s no point in seeking the release of Mahmudur Rahman from an illegal regime. We must free him after forming a new government ousting the current one through a strong and united movement,” he added.