Abdul Moyeen Khan, a standing committee member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), asserted on Monday that the party has been getting threats concerning its flag march program scheduled for January 26 and 27.
Addressing a meeting at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), the BNP leader said: "We have announced a black flag march against the government. But there are threats that if the program is arranged, there will be attacks similar to those on October 28."
Khan said the BNP has been conducting its programs peacefully for 15 months, distancing itself from any involvement in violent politics.
He accused the government of attempting to portray the BNP as a fundamentalist party to foreign entities, asserting, "Foreigners are not accepting it. That's why parties in the democratic world did not recognize the fraudulent election. Influential media have termed the current system of Bangladesh as the North Korea model, while the government claims they have made Bangladesh a role model for the world."
Moreover, Khan alleged that the current government aims to stifle criticism, saying: "We want to bring democracy back to Bangladesh. Although there was no election on January 7, the government celebrated the selection festival in the name of election. But even the government party members did not cast their votes."
Referring to hindrances to the BNP’s peaceful program of distributing leaflets calling for a boycott of the national polls on January 7, Khan reiterated the announcement of the black flag march against the government, citing continued threats of attacks similar to those on October 28.
Meanwhile, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of the BNP, held a press conference in Naya Paltan, Dhaka, accusing the ruling party of manipulating the market and causing a surge in essential commodity prices following the election.
"The market is in terrible condition. The general public are distressed by the extreme increase in commodity prices under the Awami League’s syndicate," Rizvi said, adding that the government is prioritizing international relations over the well-being of the country's citizens.
Claiming an inferiority complex within the government due to winning the election with alleged fake votes, Rizvi argued that the 180 million people of Bangladesh do not recognize the Awami League's one-party election, evident in their refusal to cast votes.
He said the people would bring down the current government through their movement.
