BNP hopes improved election atmosphere with army deployment

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday voiced high hope that the prevailing election atmosphere will be improved with the deployment of the Armed Forces on Monday.

“The Armed Forces is a symbol of the country’s independence and sovereignty. People count on it. People believe that the terrorists won’t be able to cast fake votes and stuff ballot boxes at the dead of night if army remains in the field,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a press conference at the BNP’s Naya Paltan central office, he further said, “The opposition parties have repeatedly been talking about their deployment as they believe army can keep their trust. We believe people’s confidence will be restored in the election process and a possibility for a fair election will be widened if the Armed Forces is deployed.”

The BNP leader alleged that police are out there on the field with their full strength to hold a lopsided election in favour of the Awami League.

He said police continue arresting their party leaders and activists and raiding their houses across the country. “Even, they’re arresting the wives and children of the BNP leaders at some places.”

The BNP leader said they have come to know that law enforcers may intensify their operation across the country to arrest the leaders and activists of Jatiya Oikya Front from today (Saturday).

He said their party’s 6,675 leaders and activists have been arrested while four others killed since the announcement of the election schedule.

About the shutdown of around 30 pages and accounts by social media giants Facebook and Twitter for spreading false information relating to Bangladesh election, Rizvi alleged that a deputy press secretary of the prime minister used to look after those social media sites.

He also alleged that the ruling party was carrying out false propaganda against BNP and its top leaders through those social media pages and accounts.