Covid restrictions maybe to stop BNP rallies: Rizvi

Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday voiced a doubt whether the government imposed fresh restrictions, including on public gatherings, in the name of spike of Covid cases to stop the party’s rallies and meetings, reports news agency UNB.

“People are questioning whether the restrictions have been imposed only to prevent BNP’s rallies. Because people have awakened against the government,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Naya Paltan central office in the capital, he also said the government has become scared as people have started joining their party’s rallies breaking section 144.

Earlier, on 5 January, BNP announced to hold rallies in its 40 organisational districts from 8 January in the second phase of its demonstrations to force the government to allow its chairperson Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced medical treatment.

“We would like to clearly say the fall of the current regime can’t be resisted, no matter how many conspiracies are hatched. People can no longer be suppressed by resorting to conspiracies with cases, conviction and restrictions,” Rizvi warned.

Amid the spike in Covid cases due to the transmission of the Omicron variant, the government on Monday imposed various restrictions, including public gatherings, social programmes, political and religious events. The restrictions will come into effect from 13 January.

Replying to a question, Rizvi said their party’s planned rallies in the second phase will continue amid the government’s restrictions.

“The programme that we’ve already announced will continue. Our party still haven’t changed its decision in this regard,” he added.

On 5 January, the party announced to the programmes.

As per the schedule, the party was supposed to hold rallies in six days -- 8, 12, 15, 17, 22 and 24 January -- to mount pressure on the government to allow Khaleda Zia to go abroad for treatment.

The party formally inaugurated the second-phase programmes through a rally in Brahmanbaria on 8 January.

In the first phase, the party held rallies in 32 organisational districts from 22 to 30 December last year to press for the same demand.

Khaleda Zia, a 76-year-old former prime minister, has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital for various health complications since 13 November last.

Her medical board members said the three-time prime minister immediately needs to go abroad for better treatment as she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.