BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said the 20-party alliance’s ongoing action programmes would continue “until its logical conclusion.”
Reiterating a demand for the government to hold fair and inclusive elections, Khaleda said in a press release: “The movement has been continuing in order to restore democracy to the country through inclusive, free, fair, neutral and peaceful elections. We have said the movement will continue until its logical conclusion.
The press statement signed by party Vice-Chairman Selima Rahman, who has been staying with Khaleda in her office since January 3, thanked the public and party leaders and activists “for carrying out the movement in the face of massive repression and oppression.”
On January 5, the BNP chief called an indefinite transport blockade after she was barred from leaving her Gulshan office to join a rally at the party’s Nayapaltan office.
She has elected to remain there even though barricades and a heavy police presence have now been lifted.
At least 50 people were killed in a month of non-stop blockades and intermittent hartals enforced by the opposition alliance. Hundreds of vehicles, including those belonging to law-enforcers, have been attacked and burned.
Khaleda said the government had become dependent on law enforcement agencies after losing touch with the people of the country.
At least 33 opposition leaders and activists had been killed by law enforcers and Awami League cadres under the guise of “gun fights” and other means since January 6, she claimed.
Several hundred leaders and activists had been injured, she said.
The government had taken full control of the media and was disseminating propaganda “against her party and its democratic movement,” the BNP chief alleged.
“We have repeatedly said our movement is completely peaceful and systematic. We believe in moving forward and taking the people with us. But during our movement, the lives of citizens including women and children have been taken away by petrol bomb attacks on vehicles,” she said.
“Apart from such miserable deaths, many have been passing their days in the burn unit with injuries. We strongly condemn these horrible attacks on innocent people.
“We also express deep sympathy and condolences to those who have been injured or killed. We have urged earlier that saboteurs be identified and that exemplary punishment is meted out. I am repeating this demand again today,” Khaleda said.
“The question remains how such brutal and murderous bomb attacks took place on those vehicles. No one has been caught red-handed for the attacks. In some places, ruling party men have been caught by police with bombs, bullets and firearms but were then let go as per the directives of high profile people,” she said.
Khaleda said soon after any violent incident, ruling party men begin a one-sided campaign against the opposition party and its movement.
“Without any evidence or investigation, police have filed cases according to the directives of high-ups against opposition national and local leaders.
“Cases were even filed against imprisoned and detained leaders. Even senior academician Emajuddin Ahmed, who is not a politician, has been accused of bombing,” she said.
She said: “I want to say clearly once again, we do not do politics with people’s lives.
“We do not have any connection with the politics of killing. We will never participate in such shabby and brutal politics.”
The former premier alleged that those now in office have killed dozens of people in the past using gun powder on a bus and that they have danced over the bodies of their victims after killing them.
She said in earlier times they had said that they would produce ten corpses for every death.
Khaleda said they once stripped a government officer naked in the streets.
The BNP chief alleged that the AL had paralysed the port, burned railway stations, delayed SSC exams for three months and enforced hartals during the month of Ramadan.
“Recent violent events accord with their past behaviour. So people think that to repress the movement and to repress the opposition, ruling party men have been doing criminal acts in a planned way,” she said.
Calling for an end to such brutal politics, Khaleda said the people know that she was in deep shock over the premature death of her younger son.
“Everyone has seen how rudely I was treated even before overcoming such a disaster. They are trying to keep me detached from the people and my party’s leaders and activists. They are creating an unsafe situation and pressuring me from all sides. I will not bow down to any pressure or any immoral threat. I am ready for any kind of situation or consequence,” she said.
Khaleda claimed the country had been hit by militancy due to the Awami League’s autocratic regime. She said her party had successfully controlled it.
“Today in the same way they are trying to eradicate liberal politics and fear has returned. And with this, the security of not only Bangladesh but the whole region could be hampered,” she said.
Khaleda said: “We are drawing the attention of the international community and democratic world to the reality prevailing in Bangladesh. We urge them to raise their voices against the state-sponsored criminality in Bangladesh and to raise their voices in favour of the people’s democratic movement.”
The BNP chief said over the past year, her party has called repeatedly for talks to return to the path of democracy by way of peaceful, free and fair elections.
She said: “They [the government] did not pay heed but instead continued their inhuman torture...Our backs are against the wall. They did not leave any path open but to wage a movement. To ensure democracy, basic human rights, voting rights, peace, security, rule of law and justice, our movement will continue until we reach the desired goal.”