The BNP leader came up with the remark while speaking at a programme at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), marking the 14th year of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s imprisonment.  

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"If you see today's newspapers, you’ll see the statement made by cartoonist Kishore released from jail recently. His statement shows that a terrible force is there behind the government. They’re resorting to inhuman torture to wipe out those opposing the head of the government."

“You (people) have seen that writer Mushtaq Ahmed was kept detained for six months for writing against the government while cartoonist Kishore for drawing cartoons. These two are ot the only victims -- a woman, wife of retired Major Morsalin came to me yesterday and said  Morsalin was picked up for writing against the government and he has been detained for the last one year.”

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“There’re media reports today that reveal how many people, including seven-year-old and elderly people have been picked up and landed in jail only for criticising the government,” Fakhrul added.

Fakhrul went on saying, “Democracy has been destroyed and the state has absolutely become a partisan, ineffective and dysfunctional one.”

"If we want to protect our independence today, if we want to have Khaleda Zia freed from jail, if we want to bring our leader Tarique Rahman back, if we want the cases filed against our 35 lakh leaders and activists be withdrawn and want to get our leaders and activists freed from jail, young people must come forward as they bring changes always,” said the BNP leader.

He also urged people to get united to defeat the ‘horrible fascist monster’ as they are looting Bangladesh and looting several thousand crores of money. “Let’s get united and restore independence and democracy.”

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Tarique Rahman was arrested by joint forces on March 8, 2006 during the army-backed caretaker government. A number of graft cases were filed against him.

Tarique, the eldest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, went to London on September 11, 2008 for treatment and he has been living there with his family under political asylum.

Tarique has been working as BNP’s acting chairman since his mother and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Graft Case on February 8, 2018.

BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, its senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and BNP chairperson’s special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, among others, attended the progrmame.