BNP on Wednesday urged the political parties and individuals who submitted nomination forms to stay away from a “stage-managed” national election billed for January 7 to avert public wrath.
Speaking at a virtual press briefing, party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also called upon the public servants not to cooperate the Awami League government in holding the lopsided election.
"Those who are either participating in the staged election or are directly or indirectly helping in it, I, on behalf of BNP, call upon them to come back if you have even the slightest sense of patriotism, humanity, any conscience. Don’t be the successor of Mir Jafar and don’t be subjected to the hatred of 18 crore freedom-seeking people," he said.
The BNP leader also urged those who have submitted nomination papers to withdraw those and boycott the election. “Otherwise, people will not forgive you for this unpardonable crime. Your name will be written in the pages of history next to traitors and Mir Jafar.”
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He also requested the voters to refrain from exercising their right to vote. “No officer or employee of the Republic should cooperate in the false election. “Try to pass the test of patriotism and faith.”
Rizvi said the ruling Awami League has now become a party of hiring people from other parties.
He, however, said the government could not hire any genuine BNP leaders by alluring them with money and different benefits. “They could only hire some people who were expelled and abandoned by BNP in exchange of money.”
BNP leader said the government should be ashamed that it has to hire people from other parties by distributing money and blackmailing and alluring politicians using the state machinery even after staying in power for one and a half decades. “The people of the country have not even heard the name of anyone, except one or two of those who were bought and taken to the election.”
He also said different parties are now rushing towards the Prime Minister’s official residence Gonobhaban instead of going to become MPs. “Anger and protests are going on about the distribution of seats.”
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Rizvi said different parties are now ridiculously appealing to the Prime Minister to go to parliament. “None of them are thinking of forming a government as they just want to go to parliament. So they are seeking Sheikh Hasina's blessings.”
He also cited the Jatiya Party Secretary General’s remark that their party joined the polls as the government assured them of giving seats. “The dire situation that has arisen has manifested in the speech of the Jatiya Party Secretary General. Without Sheikh Hasina's blessings, no one in the country even can be a member of the Union Parishad."
Rizvi claimed that more than 360 BNP leaders and activists have been arrested in the last 24 hours as of 4 pm on Wednesday.
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