Fakhrul says govt working to annihilate BNP

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. File Photo
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. File Photo

Shrugging off prime minister Sheikh Hasina's remark that Awami League does not believed in the politics of vengeance, BNP on Thursday said the government is working in a planned way to 'eliminate' the opposition parties, reports UNB.

"I think there's hardly any party in the world like BNP which had to endure so much suffering for establishing democracy. Our more than 2.6 million leaders and activists have been made accused in around 100,000 cases while over 500 others made disappeared and several hundred have been killed," said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He further said, "But it's unfortunate that the prime minister told parliament yesterday (Wednesday) that BNP wouldn't have survived had Awami League done the politics of vengeance. She exactly tried to mean that they're working to wipe out our existence. They're working in a planned way to eliminate not only BNP, but also all the opposition parties and dissidents."

The BNP leader came up with the remarks while speaking at a press conference at BNP's Naya Paltan central office after a joint meeting of the party and its associate bodies.

On Wednesday, the prime minister told parliament that her party does not believe in the politics of killing and vengeance. "Had we done so, there wouldn't have been the existence of BNP in this country because no-one other than us was more subjected to killing, repression and torture by BNP."

Fakhrul alleged that their chairperson Khaleda Zia has been subjected to political vengeance of the government. "She's not getting bail, though she deserves to have it."

He accused the government of engaging in anti-state activities and violating the constitution and snatching the independence of the judiciary.

The BNP leader regretted that it is now not maintained by the court that all are equal in the eyes of law due to politicisation.

He said though the other co-accused of Khaleda Zia in different cases have been granted bail by the court, the BNP chief has been denied it.

The BNP leader also said the lower court now cannot take any decision independently without the instruction of the law ministry.

Replying to a question, he said fathers and sons can do the politics of different parties in a democratic country. "There's no such obligation that the sons must follow the politics of their fathers."

Fakhrul, however, bemoaned that the country's situation has become so worse that now there is no scope to express alternative opinions. "There has been a serious polarisation in the country and society. People now even don't want to visit the houses of their political opponents in fear of bad consequences."