Next Nat’l Polls: Govt playing ‘old tricks’ to get rid of opposition
The BNP yesterday alleged that the government started playing its "old tricks" to create an empty field ahead of the next parliamentary elections.
The party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the allegation at a press conference held in the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.
"The way the ruling party took over the 2014 and 2018 elections to ensure the results were in its favour, in the same way it has started a 'process of rigging' by removing the opposition from the field."
He added that before the announcement of the election schedule in 2018, the ruling Awami League had started filing cases against opposition activists and arresting them.
"But this time, they started it much earlier. The government's plan is to hold a farcical election. The main goal is to drive the opposition out of the field and then come back to power. They are working towards that goal."
He, however, said that the ruling party will not be able to achieve that goal this time as people have already taken to the streets.
"Our ongoing movement will be intensified in the coming days and we will force the government to meet the demands of the people," he said, adding, "We will announce fresh programmes soon."
The BNP leader further alleged that the government has taken a step to convict his party activists under old cases and the law ministry even prepared a list in this regard.
"They [government] have started using all state machineries, including the judiciary and administration, to drive out the senior opposition leaders, especially those leading the ongoing movement."
He said some 1,11,543 cases were filed across the country, in which 39,78.481 opposition activists were made accused. Of the cases, over 2,830 cases were filed under the Digital Security Act.
About AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader's remarks on inviting the BNP in the election-time government, Fakhrul said, "Do you [journalists] believe it? In 2018, we held talks with the prime minister and had faith in her. But she didn't keep a single word.
"Such comments are nothing by conspiracies to mislead the people."
About BNP's meeting with the UN residential coordinator in Bangladesh, he said, "We hold routine discussions with foreign missions that have their offices here. You must keep in mind that we don't 'complain' to others."
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