This govt's house of cards will collapse: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said that the next general election will be a big challenge for Awami League, not BNP, as “people will not cast vote” in favour of the ruling party.

“Facing people is Awami League's main challenge. They've started resorting to all evil plans, sensing that people will reject them. They're importing electronic voting machines and asking police to arrest our leaders and activists,” he said.

The BNP leader was speaking at a press conference at the party's Naya Paltan central office, following a joint meeting on marking the 40th founding anniversary of the party on September 1.

At the briefing, Fakhrul warned that the nation will not accept the repression they are being subjected to. “They'll surely turn around and defeat this evil force.”

He said that people will again take to the streets against the misrule and repressive acts of the government. “And then this government's house of cards will collapse.”

In reply to a question, Fakhrul hinted that the party is going to announce “tougher programmes” in the days to come to mount pressure on the government to free party chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

“We're regularly observing various programmes demanding her (Khaleda's) release. Tougher programmes are coming up,” he said.

Fakhrul said the next general election is very important as it will determine the fate of democracy in Bangladesh.

He said that the 11th parliamentary polls will not be acceptable if BNP does not participate. “So, the government has a major role in ensuring an acceptable and meaningful national election.”

The BNP leader also said that the media and the civil society need to play a constructive role in restoring democracy and ensuring people's voting rights.

At one point during the briefing, Fakhrul expressed his frustration over the role of media.

“It's regrettable that we had a press conference on an important issue yesterday (Monday). But most newspapers, except one or two, didn't highlight it. We know the media is being controlled from behind the scene, but people are watching everything,” he said.

Fakhrul said the government must release Khaleda Zia from jail, install a non-party polls-time administration, create a level-playing field by dissolving parliament and reconstitute the Election Commission, and deploy army to ensure BNP's participation in the election.

BNP has planned various programmes to mark its 40th founding anniversary, including holding a rally either in front of the party's central office or at Suhrawardy Udyan, on September 1.

The party also said they have already sought permission from Dhaka Metropolitan Police to hold the rally.