BNP on Friday urged the people of the country to maintain communal harmony instead of responding to any kind of ‘provocation’ from the government.

"Our party has asked the people of all communities to maintain unity and communal harmony upholding our long-lasting tradition under any provocation. We’ll maintain our strong ties, said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a human-chain programme, he also said their party will not react to any provocation from the government.

READ: Govt plot behind communal incidents, alleges BNP

“Communal harmony is a long history and tradition of the Bengali nation. There have been repeated attempts to destroy that tradition,” the BNP leader said.

He alleged that the incident of the desecration of the holy Quran in Cumilla is a planned one. “It was staged as part of a government’s plan.”

Bangladesh Jatiya Dal, one of the components of the BNP-led 20-party alliance arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club, demanding that the next national election be held under a non-party neutral government.

The local administration locked into a clash with a group of people in Cumilla over an allegation of the desecration of the holy Quran at a puja mandap. Some rowdy people attacked puja mandaps in different areas of the country following the incident.

On Thursday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir blamed government agencies for the communal incidents in Cumilla and elsewhere in the country, saying these are part of a plot to mislead people.

Later, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader alleged that evil communal forces are trying to unleash  violence in the country with the patronage of BNP ahead of the next general election.

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Reacting to Quader’s remark, Rizvi said Awami League has left no misdeed undone only to hang onto power. “The incident in Cumilla was also carried out by ruling party men out of fear of losing power. The motive behind this incident is to mislead people and divert their attention to a different direction.”

Rizvi opposed the Jatiya Press Club’s decision of banning all political programmes on its premises, saying it will hinder the minimum space for raising voice against ‘misdeeds and misrule’ of the government.