Opposition BNP on Tuesday warned the government that its dream to hold the next general election keeping BNP out of the race may turn into a nightmare. “Dream is always a dream. Any decision needs to be taken on the basis of reality. The government’s dream of holding the next general election keeping BNP out of the race may become a nightmare,” said BNP chairperson’s adviser Shamsuzzaman Dudu.
He was addressing a press briefing at the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on the first day of the 36-hour nationwide hartal enforced by the 18-party opposition alliance.
Referring to Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam’s remarks that the next general election will be held as per the current constitution after the expiry of the present government’s tenure, Dudu said the next general election must be held under a non-party caretaker government.
“Awami League will have to participate in the next general election that will be held under a non-party caretaker administration. Or else, they will be isolated from people,” he added.
The BNP leader harshly criticised Environment Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam for their threats to arrest all the top BNP leaders, saying who will go to jail will be determined after the next election.
Suggesting the ministers to increase the facilities in jails and make those comfortable and clean, Dudu said, “Those who killed 200 people in three days, killed 57 army officials soon after assuming office and indulged in theft, robbing, looting and killing and pushed the country towards anarchy will have to go to jail.”
Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said, “The more you (BNP) will enforce hartal, the tougher will be the government against you. If you enforce hartal any more, all top leaders of your party will be behind bars, if necessary, for the sake of maintaining law and order.”
Earlier, Quamrul said the country’s situation will become peaceful with the arrest of some other leaders of BNP who are trying to create anarchy.
Dudu alleged that the government has continued its ill-motive to annihilate the country’s biggest political party BNP to hush up its failures and misdeeds.
“The government will sink in the quicksand of its plots.”
Sought comments regarding President-elect Abdul Hamid’s call for cooperation of all, including the political leaders, so that he could play his due role with dignity, the BNP leader said they will take into consideration Hamid’s speeches only after the new President takes the oath of office.
He said the hartal was being observed across the country with the spontaneous participation of people.
Dudu claimed that police arrested over 170 opposition activists across the country during the hartal hours on Tuesday, while more than 290 injured in attacks by law enforcers and ‘ruling party cadres’. “Besides, some 500 BNP men were implicated in false cases and seven others, including four women leaders and activists, were jailed by a mobile court.” UNB
