The BNP yesterday said absence of ambassadors of European Union from the National Mausoleum to mark the National Victory Day is a kind of protest against the government’s “undemocratic attitudes”.
“It is not usual. We think this is a sort of protest against the government’s move to hold farcical polls and its undemocratic attitude,” Nazrul Islam Khan, party’s standing committee member, said.
Addressing a press briefing at party chairperson’s Gulshan office in the capital on the second day of nationwide 72-hour blockade Nazrul also said: “It is also a shame for the country.”
Issuing a note of warning that the more the regime gets repressive the more the movement will be intensified the BNP leader asked the government to refrain from holding a unilateral poll and to return to the path of compromise.
Nazrul claimed that on the second day of blockade 373 were arrested and 2007 cases filed against the opposition leaders and activists across the country.
When asked about whether it is a violation of diplomatic norms as the EU ambassadors did not join the state programme, Nazrul, also a former ambassador, said: “It is not a matter of right or wrong. It is a shame for us.”
When asked about the verdict on Bishwajit Murder case, Nazrul said: “It is a good news.”
Meanwhile, at a press release, party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the ministers and the ruling party leaders were talking about 11th general elections to mislead people of the country.
“The BNP participated in the dialogue to discuss the polls-time government with a demand for suspending the election schedule, not to discuss the 11th general elections. Rumour on dialogue on 11th general election is a pack of lies and baseless,” he said.
About the dialogue Fakhrul said two meetings between Awami League and BNP were held in the capital on the initiative of UN special envoy Oscar Fernandez Taranco while another meeting was held after he returned to the UN.
Fakhrul said: “At the third round of meetings both the parties placed some proposals to reach a consensus to break the political impasse. Both the party secretaries agreed to reply on the proposals and set the date for the fourth round of meetings after discussing with party high-ups. But until now the ruling party has set any date for dialogue.”