Dhaka – BNP standing committee member RA Gani on Sunday warned that the government will be held responsible for any unwarranted situation in the country due to its rejection of the opposition’s demand for arranging the polls under a non-party administration.“We hope that the government, realising the sentiment of people, will accept the mass demand for holding the next election in a free and fair manner under a non-parry caretaker government,” he said.
The BNP policymaker came up with the remarks while addressing press a briefing at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office about the second day of the 18-party’s 72-hour blockade programme.
Gani was the first BNP leader appeared before the media after the arrest of its joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on November 30.
After Rizvi’s arrest, another party joint secretary general Salauddin was made party spokesperson but he neither came to BNP’s central office nor met media in fear of arrest as he was also made accused in the case for torching a bus at Shahbagh in the city recently that left three youths dead and 15 others injured.
Salauddin, however, has been sending statements and video messages from an undisclosed place since he was made the party spokesman.
Explaining why Salauddin was sending messages from his hideout, Gani said the government is repeatedly attacking the BNP office and besieging it and not allowing anybody to enter it. “They’re firing gun shots on the leaders and activists and raiding their houses. Under the circumstances, it’s not possible to announce the party programmes in public.”
He mentioned that the government after being alienated from people has resorted to barbaric torture and repression to suppress the opposition.
The senior BNP leader urged the government to stop killing, repressive acts and acts of sabotage.
Gani alleged that the government is going ahead with its evil plan for holding a unilateral election without creating a level-playing field for all, putting the country into a severe crisis.
He claimed that an opposition activist was killed and 550 others were injured in clashes with the law enforcers and ruling party men across the country during the second day of the blockade programme.
Besides, around 380 opposition leaders and activists were arrested while 2,500 implicated in ‘false’ cases, he added.
The BNP standing committee member, on behalf of the party chairperson and opposition leader Khaleda Zia, thanked the country’s people for what he said making the 18-party’s programme a success with their spontaneous participations. – UNB
