Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Thursday accused the government of turning the country into a fascist state through repression and misrule.
“A man accused of attacking Awami League leader Asaduzzaman Noor was shot dead in Bogra about one and a half months ago, but his body was buried as an unidentified,” said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He alleged that “the country’s youths are being killed. No one can say exactly how many youths have so far been killed this way,” Mirza Fakhrul said.
He claimed, “Awami League had killed thousands of youths from 1972 to 1975. Now they’re repeating the same incidents. We’re now going through a tough time as our national identity, independence and democracy are at stake.”Fakhrul made the allegations at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club jointly organised by Bangladesh Chhatra Forum and Uttaranchal Chhatra Forum, marking the 8th anniversary of imprisonment of BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman.
He claimed that the government was responsible for forced disappearance of 61 people, including 22 in the capital, in the last three months. “Police are arresting people and killing them making up story of gunfight.”
The BNP leader said the opposition can not exercise democratic rights and does not get justice.
He criticised the law enforcers for what he said resorting to repressive acts at the behest of the government. “It seems police have only job and that is to suppress the opposition. It can’t be continued. They have now turned the country into a complete fascist state.”
He said the ruling party is again trying to establish one-party rule Baksal under the cover of democracy by snatching people’s rights.
Fakhrul urged the youths to get united and create a strong resistance against the government to save democracy and protect the country’s independence and sovereignty.
Referring to a report of US-based world justice project published on Thursday, the BNP leader said the rights body in their 4th report ranked Bangladesh the 92nd among the 97 countries in overall rule of law performance.
He also said the rights watchdog also identified human rights violations and police abuses as the main problems in Bangladesh.
Expressing his worry over the findings of the report, the BNP leader said the government is arrogant enough to ignore the report. “They are shameless…they don’t care anything. They’re making tall talk that they will hang onto power for five years by assuming office through voter-less farcical polls.”
Turning to results of the upazila polls, Fakhrul said people have sent out a message that they don’t like this government and they want it to go.
He said the then army-backed military government in 2007 had arrested Tarique Rahman only to stop the progress of the nationalist force and destroy BNP.
Mentioning that propaganda had been conducted against Tarique, Fakhrul said no charges brought against him could be proved. “Even he has been acquitted in the money laundering case.”
Tarique, the eldest son of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and current chairperson Khaleda Zia, has been staying in London since 2008.
The BNP senior vice chairman was arrested on March 7, 2007 during the army-backed interim regime. He was freed from jail on bail on September 3, 2008 and left for London for treatment eight days later. – UNB
