Removal of Tarique’s speeches: BNP condemns HC order

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today condemned a High Court order that directed BTRC to remove statements made by the party's acting chairman Tarique Rahman from online platforms, terming it an attempt to "wipe out democracy" in Bangladesh.

"This was an order to fulfil Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's wishes and to make her happy," he said at a press conference at BNP's central office in the capital's Nayapaltan today.

Earlier, an HC bench ordered the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to "remove or strike down" recent speeches and remarks by Tarique Rahman from YouTube, Facebook, and other digital platforms.

Rizvi said, "This order is politically biased and a complete violation of freedom of expression."

He pointed out that past court orders also banned Tarique's statements, but failed to silence him in the internet age.

"The Awami League government wants to suppress the voice of the opposition; it wants to control the politics of the opposition by using the court," said the BNP leader.

Commenting that the court is the last resort for people, he said, "That confidence has been eroded during the current government's tenure."