BNP to roll out detailed programme of one-point movement Monday

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam said the party would roll out detailed programmes to realise its one point demand of the government's resignation on 18 September, Monday.

Speaking at a press briefing at BNP’s Naya Paltan office on Friday afternoon, Fakhrul said the party would announce the schedule of the simultaneous movement on that day.

“The youth who cannot cast their votes have announced road marches in Rangpur and Rajshahi on 16 and 17 September. BNP will announce its programmes on 18 September,” Mirza Fakhrul said.

He said the people of the country are united in the ongoing one-point movement and everyone has reached a consensus not to participate in the election held under this government.

“The leaders of Jatiya Party also said the election can’t be fair with this government in power. So we would again roll out programmes to realise our one-point demand on the 18th (September).”

Fakhrul alleged that rights organisation Odhikar’s secretary Adilur Rahman Khan has been jailed for raising voice against incidents of enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing.

“He (Adilur Rahman Khan) was vocal about enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing here (Bangladesh). He highlighted these issues internationally in the Human Rights Commission and other international organisations. That is why he has been sentenced.”  

The BNP secretary general said the verdict of Adilur testifies that the judiciary of Bangladesh has been totally under control of the government. No one gets justice here as the judiciary is partisan.

He said not only democracy but the very existence of the country would be in danger if the judiciary cannot be freed from partisanship.

Fakhrul said many people were killed in a joint drive of police and other law enforcers during the programme of Hefazat e Islam in 2013. They (Adilur and Odhikar’s director ASM Nasir Uddin) were targeted as they reported on the issue of killing Hefazat men.

The BNP leader alleged that the government has once again started to file fictitious cases against the BNP men ahead of the election.

In Jamalpur, 30 fictitious cases were filed against BNP leaders-activists in the span of just 36 days, he said.

“There is no police station in Dhaka where there is no case against our leaders-activists. Our leaders-activists can’t spend the night at their homes for several years. Do you call this state a democratic one?”

He said it is regrettable that a section of our society and a big portion of our media support such an act of the government.

He also asked why the High Court has not disposed of 50 cases filed over results of the 2018 general election.

“The prime minister even last Thursday said she was surprised why questions were being raised about the election. We were also taken aback by her remark. Because, people of Bangladesh know that no elections, voting takes place here. People of Bangladesh can’t vote. They conducted two elections. In 2014, as many as 154 lawmakers were elected unopposed as other parties boycotted that election. And in 2018, the voting took place the night before the election. Earlier after the announcement of the polls schedule, they arrested all leaders-activists of the opposition parties. Even the candidates were arrested.”

Fakhrul called upon everyone irrespective of party to unite to restore democracy in the country.

Abdus Salam, member of Khaleda Zia's advisory council and convenor of Dhaka south BNP, Khaleda Zia's special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, BNP organising secretaries Syed Emran Saleh and Abdus Salam Azad and party executive committee member Abdus Sattar Patwari, among others were present in the press conference.