Taking a swipe at the government for ‘restricting rallies and meetings for a month’, BNP standing committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan on Monday said his party will not accept the politics of undertaking.“BNP is a democratic party and it won’t accept politics of undertaking. It can’t be acceptable in a democratic country that politics will have to do taking permission,” he said.
Addressing a milad mahfil at Bhashani auditorium in the city, Moyeen Khan made the remarks reacting to the Home Minister’s comment that no rally and public meeting will be allowed for the next one month.
Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal arranged the programme seeking early recovery of ailing BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, now in Singapore for medical treatment.
On May 14, Fakhrul went to Singapore and has been undergoing treatment at National University Hospital there.
Moyeen Khan said, “The Home Minister on Sunday said no meeting and rally will be allowed for a month. The Home Ministry also clarified his remarks. But, the government didn’t make it clear whether it’ll allow the opposition to do politics or run the county in a Baksal style.”
In Mirersarai upazila, Chittagong on Sunday, Home Minister Dr Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir said some political parties have caused a law and order problem in the name of holding their programmes. “Hence, no one would be allowed to hold any kind of rally for the next one month.”
After the minister’s speech in Mirersarai, the Home Ministry in a clarification said, “The Home Minister, in his speech said, the government for the sake of maintaining law and order won’t allow any political party to enforce any political programme in the aftermath of cyclone that might cause sabotage and damage to public life and property.”
The Home Ministry further said, “It’s not a ban, rather a precautionary step towards protecting the public life and property. There’s no room for confusion.”
Disapproving the Home minister’s remarks, Moyeen Khan said BNP will follow the peaceful and democratic way in carrying out their political programmes.
He said his party is willing to sit in a dialogue to reinstate a non-party election-time caretaker government system.
Mentioning that the government has created a crisis in the country through the 15th amendment to the Constitution, the BNP leader urged the government to restore the caretaker government system in the Constitution and arrange the next election under it.
“The government has the absolute majority in parliament. So, we can restore the non-party caretaker government system. The government must take initiatives in this regard,” he added. UNB
