If demand not met, things will be settled on street: Fakhrul

Staff Reporter :
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday warned the government, that the whole nation has awakened and become united for one demand of immediate resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government and to form an election-time neutral government soon.

“In simple words, if the demand is not accepted, things will be settled on the streets,”
BNP Secretary General said at a protest rally in the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.

He said, “There is no support for the Awami League government both in the country and abroad,” he said.

Mirza Fakhrul said to the party men in the rally that the next course of action would be announced later after discussing the matter with the leaders.

“The AL government came to power by deceiving the country’s people two times without holding acceptable elections. However, it won’t be possible this time,” the BNP leader said.

Addressing the crowd, Mirza Fakhrul demanded the release of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and other imprisoned BNP leaders who were arrested recently.

He also demanded withdrawal of false cases filed against the BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.

Mirza Fakhrul also demanded halting arrest spree and filing of false cases and an end to torture and harassment of the party men.

The BNP held protest rallies in Dhaka and other cities and district headquarters across the country.

The BNP Secretary General made the demand and alleged that the government was oppressing the opposition activists to remain in power illegally.

The BNP on Saturday announced countrywide rallies to protest against the ‘oppression’ on the party leaders and activists during their Saturday’s sit-in programme at different entrances of the capital and to press home their one-point demand for resignation of the government and holding the next general polls under a neutral government.

As part of the party’s countrywide programme, BNP’s Dhaka south and north city units arranged the rally.

The party leaders and activists from different city areas thronged the rally venue since 1:00pm.
A huge number of law enforcers were deployed around the rally venue to fend off any untoward incident.

BNP’s sit-in programme at the key entry points of Dhaka on Saturday was stained by clashes and violence, leaving an unspecified number of people injured.

Several vehicles were torched in different areas, including Matuail and Shyamoli, during the clashes between BNP activists and police.

The BNP Secretary General said their programme is always peaceful but the government attacked such programmes becoming panicked.

He asked the government not to make obstacles against such peaceful democratic programmes.

Mirza Fakhrul said the government has rented some unknown foreigners as election observer.

“Even the organisations of those people are unknown to their countries also. Those people have said that caretaker system is not legal. Who are you to say this?” Mirza Fakhrul questioned.

He said the government has been panicked and so they are doing such things.

Reading a slip note sending by a party man, Mirza Fakhrul said “The Prime Minister asked the government officials not to be panicked over the opposition’s movement.

It is fact that the government has been panicked as they did huge offensives in the past several years for staying in power illegally.”

“They have made forced disappearances of more than 600 people, tortured and harassed huge number of opposition party men. They filed cases against 40 lakh leaders and activists. Finally, they are now panicked,” he said.

BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas said the movement against the AL government won’t stop until their one-point demand — the current government’s resignation — is met.

Mirza Abbas said no matter how many arrests are made, the movement won’t be halted.

BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, “The judiciary, law enforcement agencies, or government officials should not decide Bangladesh’s leadership. Instead, it should be the right of the people of the country.”

BNP Dhaka South City Unit convener Abdus Salam presided over the rally where the party senior leaders spoke.