Dhaka, Jan 4 – BNP has decided to mark the seventh anniversary of the 10th parliament election day– January 5, 2014–by hoisting flags at its offices across the country on Tuesday.
Besides, BNP leaders and activists will wear black badges on the day to register the party’s protest against that ‘unilateral’ election.
Party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme at a press conference at its Nayapaltan central office on Monday.
“BNP will hoist black flags tomorrow (Tuesday) to commemorate with hatred the stigmatised chapter of capturing power through a unilateral voter-less parliamentary election that held on January 5, 2014, ignoring the demands of people amid the boycott by all political parties,” he said.
Rizvi said their party leaders and workers will wear black badges the same day protesting that election.
Most registered political parties, including BNP, boycotted the 10th parliamentary election as it was held under a partisan government, annulling the caretaker government system following a court order.
However, Awami League and its political allies joined the election in which 153 MPs out of 300 seats got elected uncontested.
BNP together with some other parties formed Jatiya Oikyafront under the leadership of Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain and joined the 11th parliamentary election on December 30, 2018, but suffered a massive debacle.
The Jatiya Oikyafront leaders turned down the election results by bringing the allegation of vote ‘rigging’ and ‘night-time ballot-stuffing’, but their eight MPs took oath as the member of 11th parliament.
On December 30 last, BNP staged demonstrations across the country, marking the second anniversary of the 11th parliamentary election. They observed the day as the ‘stigmatised black day’.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir issued a statement describing January 5, 2014, as an unprecedented black chapter of killing democracy in Bangladesh as part of a move to revive one-party Baksal rule.
“The spirit of that election was completely contrary to the main spirit of the Liberation War, democracy and the freedom of citizens,” he observed.
Fakhrul said people are now getting united to ‘restore’ democracy and they may create a mass wave on the street anytime. – UNB
