Allow people to speak to curb rumour: Fakhrul

The government will have to allow people to speak the truth if it wants to stop rumours, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today.

Speaking at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Fakhrul said rumours could flow into the student protests because “the government was curbing facts and repressing truth”.

The BNP leader said his party extended its support to the student movement as it was justified.

He claimed that the ruling party remains in fear about BNP. “That’s why they (AL) see BNP’s involvement in every incident. It seems to me they (AL leaders) cannot sleep at night out of fear of BNP.”

On the note of arrest of widely acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam, Fakhrul said, he was arrested for giving an interview to Al Jazeera where he said people have no right to talk or express their views.

“The government is regulating the media and scrapping the freedom of expression as it's an unelected one,” he added.

Blaming the ruling party men for attacking students during their movement Fakhrul said the government take step to arrest the attackers.

“We telling very clearly that BNP was not involved in the violence during the movement. We demand arrest of those who attacked journalists and demonstrators in presence of police.”