A dawn-to-dusk blockade was staged by the Khagrachhari unit of BNP yesterday in protest of the “falsified” cases filed against 25 activists of the party, including former member of the parliament and District BNP President Wadud Bhuiyan.
Md Faruk Ahmed and Md Nurul Islam, Awami League activists in Ramgarh upazila, filed two cases on May 16 against the BNP activists, also including Ramgarh Upazila Chairman Shahidul Islam Farhad, accusing them of the burglary and abduction that took place in October 2001.
The protesting BNP followers also staged an hour-long human chain at Khagrachhari Press Club at 11am yesterday. The demonstration was peaceful and there was no report of violence in the district.
Prabin Chandra Chakma, senior vice-president of Khagrachhari BNP, along with General Secretary Abu Yusuf Chowdhury and Organising Secretary Mostafizur Rahman, addressed the demonstrating activists at the human chain event, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the cases.
The speakers claimed that the Awami League government filed a number of false cases against the BNP activists in the district after being sworn in to power in 2009.
Moreover, they killed 10 BNP leaders and followers, injured hundreds of them, and also vandalised businesses owned by them, the speakers added. They claimed these cases were the result of Awami League’s political vengeance.
Claiming that the ruling party was conspiring against BNP, Wadud Bhuiyan said: “The Awami League leaders and activists have been torturing me and my party members for years. They have been filing false cases against us, and they are not letting me enter my constituency.”
He threatened to launch a tough movement if the ruling party did not stop conspiring against the BNP.
Police Super of Khagrachhari Mizanur Rahman said police had requested the protesters to withdraw the blockade programme, and additional police members had been deployed in the district’s sensitive areas to prevent violent activities.
Kujendra Lal Tripura MP, president of Awami League’s Khagrachhari unit, said staging blockades and causing the suffering of common people has become BNP’s habit.
“No one is above the law, and those who commit crimes will be punished,” he said.
