BNP on Saturday demanded guarantee from the government to carryout normal political activities in the country.
“The people in the government are saying that the BNP would be able to carryout normal political activities. But we want a guarantee from the government to conduct normal politics by the party,” said BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon said at a press conference at the party’s Naya Paltan central office.“As a pre-condition to this end all opposition leaders behind bars will have to be released and cases against them will have to be withdrawn,” he added.
The BNP leader alleged that the government is trying to eliminate the opposition force in Bangladesh instead of keeping it effective.
“A strong opposition party is necessary to strengthen democratic process in any country but the government is trying to eliminate opposition forces,” he said.
He called upon the government to give up the strategy of destroying opposition and seek guarantee so that they could carry out normal political activities in the country.
“The government is making democratic institutions weak by weakening opposition assuming that it would be better for it if opposition becomes weak. That’s why law and order situation deteriorated greatly in the country which the government could not tackle,” he said.
The BNP leader also demanded the government to hold an effective dialogue with BNP on holding of an inclusive poll and reorganize the election commission to consolidate country’s democracy.
Referring to comments of a government minister that BNP will be able to exercise normal political activities, he said they want guarantee from the government to carry out normal activities.
“And as pre-condition to this end all opposition leaders behind bars will have to be released and cases against them will have to be withdrawn,” he added.
Ripon, also international affairs secretary, said the government is filing cases against the opposition leaders and activists one after another in a bid to weak the opposition.
“But it has been proved again and again that false cases and sending politicians in jail cannot weak any political party,” he said adding that the government’s wish to stay power might be fulfilled for the time being.
“The government’s such move will intensify people’s dissatisfaction and anger against the government and democratic institutions will become weak,” he added.
Advocate Sanaullah Miah, Masud Ahmed Talukder, Abdus Salam Azad and Toimur alam Khandaker, among others, were present on the occasion. – Staff Reporter
