BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said that the Awami League government may be devising a different strategy to con the people again by going for an early election.
Speaking at the party's sit-in program, he called on people from all walks of life to be vocal against the misdeeds of the government if they want to get rid of Awami League's repression and suppression.
“They (govt) will not go easily. A meeting was held in the Election Commission the day before yesterday (Thursday) where the chief election commissioner talked about taking all measures for the election, if necessary for early an election. That means they now want to take a different strategy,” the BNP leader said.
As per that strategy, he feared that the government will hold an early election and announce themselves the winners “as they did in the past by fooling people”.
"We would like to clearly say that people will allow any of your strategies to succeed, and they won't fall into any trap. This time the public will put up a resistance and foil all your plans,” Fakhrul warned the incumbents.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneAs part of the ongoing simultaneous movement, BNP's Dhaka south and north city units jointly staged the sit-in from 2pm-4pm in front of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in the capital.
The BNP, its associate bodies, and like-minded parties observed a two-hour sit-in program in all divisional cities and district towns on Saturday to press home the 10-point demand they unveiled in December - the most important one being elections under a non-party caretaker government.
The program was also meant for registering the party's protest against the rise in the prices of power, gas, and essential items and the Awami League government's all-pervading corruption.
Apart from BNP, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, Gonoforum, Bangladesh People's Party, 12-party alliance, Labour Party, Ganatantrik Bam Oikya and LDP also observed the program separately in different areas of the capital.
Describing the current government as fascist, Fakhrul said the government does not believe in democracy nor does it give any importance to people's opinions, as its only goal is to stay in power by force instead of votes if necessary.
He alleged that the administration, police, and other law enforcement agencies are helping the ruling party to cling to power illegally as it has no relations with the people.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneThe BNP leader warned that the people of the country have never accepted injustice indefinitely. "They have always fought against injustice and they truly fought for democracy," he said.
He slammed the government for filing cases against journalists, including Daily Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, under the Digital Security Act (DSA) and the arrest of the vernacular daily reporter Samsuzzaman Shams.
“I would like to ask all people to be careful and alert as the current illegal and usurper regime won't spare anyone from its repressive activities. If you remain silent, one day you'll also be subjected to repression by the government. So, it is the responsibility of all people to resist this regime together,” Fakhrul observed.
He said when many BNP leaders and activists and dissidents were killed, repressed and three editors--Mahmudur Rahman of the Amar Desh, Abul Asad of the Daily Sangram, and Shafik Rehman of Jai Jai Din—were repressed and forced to leave the country, many civil society members and noted citizens did not raise their voices.
“But now a case under the Digital Security Act has been filed against the editor of the most popular newspaper in the country,” he said.
Under the circumstances, he urged the people to unite to realize their party's 10-point demand by defeating the Awami League government through a mass uprising.