BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Tuesday alleged that the government has violated the constitution by banning rallies and public meetings.
“The government has imposed a restriction on holding public rallies and meetings as it is afraid of people. The constitution has ensured people’s right to hold rallies and meetings. The government has breached the constitution by snatching this right,” he told a rally at the National Press Club.
Barkatullah Mukti Parishad arranged the programme demanding the release of BNP joint secretary general Barkatullah Bulu arrested on May 15 from in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
Mosharraf said the government is obstructing the opposition to exercise its democratic rights. “We want to tell the government that you won’t be able to resist the people’s movement by resorting to repressive acts and filing false cases against the opposition leaders and activists.”
Criticising the current regime for what he said its undemocratic attitude, the former minister said the government is on one hand crying for democracy and throwing BNP leaders and activists into jail in false cases on the other to annihilate the opposition.
He also slammed the government for keeping Barkatullah Bulu at high security zone in the Kashimpur central jail, where usually hardened criminals are kept.
Mosharraf said a free, fair and credible election is possible only under a non-party administration as the two major parties do not have confidence in each other. “The government will have to arrange the next general election under a non-party administration, no matter what tricks it resorts to.”
Addressing the programme, another BNP standing committee Member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy said the government has banned holding rallies and meetings as it is now in ‘intensive care unit’.
Questioning the government’s sincerity about its dialogue offer, he said the government did not send any letter to the opposition leader inviting her for talks though it had said to do so. “Where is the letter that you have told to send within 24 hours?” (Source: UNB)
