BNP calls 2-day hartal, terms motijheel killing genocide

Terming the predawn crackdown by law enforcers on Hefajat-e-Islam activists at Motijheel Shapla Chattar, the main business district of capital Dhaka, a planned genocide, opposition BNP Monday claimed that over a thousand people were killed while hundreds of bodies concealed during the drive.“This marked the recurrence of the March 25 black night of 1971 and surpassed the deadly crimes against humanity committed during the war of independence,” said BNP standing committee member MK Anwar.
He came up with the allegation while addressing a press briefing at BNP’s Nayaplatan central office. The BNP has called a 2-day nationwide hartal for Wednesday and Thursday in protest.
MK Anwar alleged that police, Rab and BGB men along with ruling party cadres attacked the peaceful sit-in programme of the Hefajat men creating a spooky situation by snapping power connection, and killed and injured several thousands hapless devoted Alem and Ulema in indiscriminate firing.  Denouncing the incident, he said, “Such killing is unprecedented in Bangladesh’s political history.”
The former minister also alleged that the government shut the transmissions of private TV channels Diganta and Islamic TV for airing the footages of the heinous and deadly attacks of the law enforcers. “The government has exposed its Baksali character by this move.”
He also alleged that ruling party men led by Swechchhasebak League leader Debashish set fire to the copies of Holy Quran and the bookshops near the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. “The footages of media showed that. But unfortunately, the government is trying to mislead people by putting the blame on Hefajat despite having the evidence.”
MK Anwar claimed that the ruling party men damaged various business establishments and looted those as they tried to malign Hefajat.  Mentioning that Qaumi madrasahs became the target of the ruling party cadres, the BNP leader said Awami League men with the help of law enforcers killed 25 innocent students of a madrasah at Siddirganj in Narayanganj on Monday.
He also claimed that Awami League men with the help of law enforcers killed 10 BNP activists in Bagerhat the same day.
Addressing the briefing, BNP vice chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka claimed that over a thousand people were killed in the midnight crackdown on the Hefajat men at Shapla Chattar.
He said they have not yet got the exact information about the casualties as media men were barred from covering the drive.
Accusing the government of resorting to mass killing only to cling to power, Khoka said, “The government won’t be able to hang onto power, no matter how many people it’ll kill.”
Mentioning that 30 lakh people had sacrificed their blood for democracy during the country’s Liberation War, the BNP leader said, “If necessary, this time 60 lakh people will sacrifice their blood for keeping the democratic system functional.”
BNP standing committee members Dr RA Gani, Abdul Moyeen Khan, BNP vice chairman Selima Rahman, BNP chairperson’s adviser Shamsuzzaman Dudu and senior leaders of the 18-party alliance were present at the meeting. UNB

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