‘582 BNP leaders sentenced to disqualify them for elections’
News Desk :
The government is systematically sentencing electable BNP leaders to disqualify them from participating in the imminent parliamentary election, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said on Saturday.
Speaking at a virtual press conference on Saturday, Rizvi said, “The government of selectively punishing active leaders engaged in the ongoing movement.
“The government has initiated trials for cases filed in 2014-15, ensuring that no one receives a sentence of less than two years, rendering them ineligible to contest the next election,” said Rizvi, adding that 582 electable leaders of the BNP have been sentenced ahead of the election.
Calling the government ‘fascist,’ Rizvi urged BNP leaders and activists to take to the streets to ensure the success of a nationwide 48-hour blockade.
On Saturday evening, BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists held processions in different parts of the country in support of the blockade, which is scheduled to be enforced from 6am on Sunday until 6am on Tuesday.
This marks the seventh blockade programme enforced by the BNP to demand the government’s resignation and the cancellation of the election schedule.
Rizvi expressed concerns about the upcoming 7 January election, suggesting it could mirror the 2014 voterless election and the 2018 midnight ballot stuffing.
He said, “Sheikh Hasina has a pre-determined list of winners and losers, to be revealed only on the election day.”
“Political leaders are being inducted into the baseless king party, luring them with promises of making money and becoming MPs with the help of the National Intelligence Agency,” Rizvi added.
However, he asserted that moral, idealistic, and patriotic politicians cannot be swayed.
Rizvi said in the last 24 hours, 325 leaders and activists were arrested across the country. Since the announcement of the election schedule, more than 4,200 leaders and activists have been arrested, and since 28 October, 16 leaders, including one journalist, have been killed.
