Stating that the government has resumed filing “false and factious” cases against them, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday called upon his party members to get ready for the final round of movement to oust Awami League from power.
“This is our final round of movement. We have to launch a 'do or die' movement this time” he said.
Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader further said, "Let's unite and wage a fierce mass movement on the streets together with people which will sweep this government away like a tsunami in the sea."
Read:Gunning down Shaon amounts to killing democracy: Fakhrul
BNP arranged the programme at Mahanagar Natyamancha in the capital marking its 44th founding anniversary. On September 1, 1978, late President Ziaur Rahman founded the party with a 19-point programme to build a self-reliant Bangladesh.
Mentioning that their party is celebrating the founding anniversary at a very critical time, Fakhrul warned the BNP leaders and activists that they should take every step very carefully so that the ruling party does not get any scope to put them in danger.
He said many plots were hatched to eliminate BNP, but the party moved forward defying all obstacles.
“There’s a plot during the 1/11 to destroy BNP by sending our chairperson Khaleda Zia to jail and Tarique Rahman into exile and implicating our many leaders and activists in false cases. It's also not possible to abolish BNP over the last 15 years by resorting to killing and enforced disappearance. BNP has started waking up again all over the country,” Fakhrul observed.
As BNP launched a movement on public issues like price hikes of fuel and essential commodities, he said the government started killing the party leaders and activists. “Our Jubo Dal activist Shaon was shot dead yesterday (Thursday).”
Referring to a statement of a police officer that Shaon was not a Jubo Dal worker, the BNP leader said he himself visited the victim's house where his mother and all relatives said he was involved with the politics of Jubo Dal.
Read: BNP vows to avenge blood of its slain workers by ousting the govt
He alleged that police secretly buried Shaon’s body in the early hours of Friday without handing it over to his family members or to the party. “Not only that, but also they forced his elder brother to file a false case at gunpoint. I would like to warn that those who file such a false case and gun down our leaders and workers, they all must be held accountable someday. “
Fakhrul said their party filed cases over the murders of Abur Rahim and Noor-e-Alam in Bhola. “We also file cases over the murder of Shaon and we’ll also hold you accountable for each incident of firing at our leaders and activists in different districts."
He alleged that the government has again started implicating BNP leaders and activists in false cases as they did the same thing before the 10th and 11th parliamentary elections out of fear of losing power. “They have again started filing false and fictitious cases in the same way. “There are photos in the newspapers of how police officers are directly firing with rifles at BNP leaders and activists who tried to observe the peaceful programmes of their party’s founding anniversary without any chaos.”
The BNP secretary general said the government is thinking that they would be able to hang onto power again through oppression and suppression. “Don’t think of it as people and youth have started waking up this time.”
Fakhrul urged the police not to obstruct the opposition’s democratic and peaceful programmes and fire at innocent people.
“We want to make it very clear that we're not against the police force or against any force…we never want to make you an opponent. Please don't be an opponent of people,” said.