BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said the government must resign before declaring the national election, so that the polls are held under a neutral government.

The BNP leader came up with the remarks while speaking at a rally organised at Registry Field in Sylhet city's Bandarbazar area, marking "Free Sylhet Day".

"The ruling government is trying to erase the true history of the Liberation War. During the Victory Day programme, they did not mention the names of MAG Osmani, Ziaur Rahman or Tajuddin Ahmed," Fakhrul said.

He also said more people have slid below the poverty line during the current government, while AL supporters are becoming rich by wreaking havoc on the economy.

"The judicial system has also been destroyed, and we've witnessed the incident of forcing the chief justice to leave the country at gun-point," he commented.

"The recent sanctions enacted by the US against seven Rab members have embarrassed us as a nation. They faced the sanction due to extra-judicial killings. We have been calling them out over the last 10 years, as this is a serious issue," he also said.

Presided over by Sylhet City Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, national executive committee vice-chair Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and BNP chairperson's advisory council member Abdus Salam were present during the rally.