The national election is just four days away. Your party said they would not allow holding the polls. What do you want to do at the last moment?
We have not come with stick and sword. We have no arms either. We have not even come to start a war. We are waging a movement peacefully for the establishment of people’s rights. People are no longer with this mockery of election. We will continue with our peaceful movement.
Awami League says election will be a festival. What do you think?
Election has already been held. Its announcement is pending now. Who will win the polls has already been determined, and that will be announced on 7 January. In a bid to boost voter turnout, people are being intimidated at homes by wielding arms, or else they would face consequence. Attempts are on to bring voters to polling stations by threating to suspend social security allowances. All these are evident that people are no longer with this election.
You are calling the 7 January election a mockery, but how much does your explanation affect people?
Election is held among people, but this time, polls are being held by sharing money and constituencies among some beneficiary parties. These beneficiaries have looted the banks of the country for 15 years, laundered millions of taka and destroyed the education system of the country. Now they have come together to continue their looting, misrule and tyranny. On the other hand, general people who are repressed by commodity prices have lost rights to vote. The common people and leadership of opposition parties including the BNP have been united, and they will surely bring a change to this looting and misrule.
What do you think how much your narrative have impacted at home and abroad?
No democracy exists in this country. Abduction, killings and repression of dissidents are ongoing. Leaders and activists of the opposition are being tried in false cases running court at midnight. No human rights exists in this country, and the entire world knows this. On the other hand, people are the victims. So, the movement that the BNP is waging, and the things that the BNP is talking about, are the words of the people.
You said more than 20,000 leader and activists are behind bars while the government and the Awami League say the figure is approximate 10,000. What is the real fact then?
Awami League is ruling the country in a monstrous way. They stand on complete lies. Nobody including leaders and activists of BNP and other parties, women and lawyers were spared. Raids were conducted everywhere from the capital to rural areas. There is nothing to hide, and even if the government denies, it is not that the true will turn into falsehood.
* This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Hasanul Banna