"The government is moving ahead with an outline for a one-sided and silent election without people’s participation. Filing of the cases, we think, against our senior leaders is the first step towards implementing their plan,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he alleged that the government has turned vindictive following BNP’s ‘big’ public rally at Suhrawardy Udyan. “After the wholesale arrest of BNP leaders and activists from the rally, the government has now filed a false and absurd case against our senior leaders.”
The BNP leader said Hatirjheel police filed a case against 55 BNP leaders, including Fakhrul, standing committee members Moudud, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on a ‘false’ charge of obstructing police from performing duties and instigating ‘subversive acts’.
“The case is false, fabricated and totally conspiratorial one. The government is using brutal repressive acts as its weapons to suppress BNP leaders and activists. The government has repeatedly been indulging in such a dangerous game even after knowing that its fall is certain,” he observed.
Rizvi, on behalf of BNP, strongly protested and condemned the filing of such a ‘false’ case and demanded the government withdraw it immediately.
He said police are always ready with a format of fictitious charges to arrest BNP leaders and activists and implicate them in cases. “They used the same format to file the case against our senior leaders.”
Rizvi said the government has exposed its intention of holding a stage-managed and unilateral election by filing the case. “It’s also clearly manifested that they (govt) don’t want a participatory election.”
He criticised Prime Minister's ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy for questioning the ethics of Editors’ Council as they are raising voice against the Digital Security Act.
Rizvi said the Digital Security Act has been enacted to gag the media and people’s voice.