“The current government has turned into a puppet of hegemony. They’re only implementing the agenda of the imperialists here,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He said, “It’s our goal to establish a truly public representative government removing the current puppet one by organising people. Let's all work together to achieve this goal.”

BNP arranged the programme marking the imprisonment day of party chairperson Khaleda Zia by the army-led caretaker government in 2007.

Fakhrul said Khaleda Zia has still huge popularity among people due to her immense contributions to democracy. “We’ve seen how people greeted her standing beside roads on her way to Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar (before her jailing).  People are still with her. I believe that if we can organise people and take to the streets with them, we will be able to unset the undemocratic regime.”

He said a vested quarter with the help of some foreign diplomats hatched a plot against BNP in 2007 to remove it from power.

The BNP leader said the army-led caretaker government came to power during the 1/11 in 2007 as part of that plot and ruled the country unlawfully for two years before bringing Awami League to power through a ‘conspiratorial’ election.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was arrested on September 2, 2007 after the 1/11 political changeover. BNP has been observing the day of her imprisonment since then.

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Speaking at the programme, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the 1/11 government has come to depoliticise the country. “They had also an aim to destroy democracy in the country and remove Khaleda Zia from politics.”

He said the way ‘Moyeenuddin-Fakhruddin’ government was in power unconstitutionally by force, the current government is also in power the same way. “It is depriving people of their rights, obliterating democracy and throwing the country into a dark hole.”

The BNP leader said they must take to the streets revitalising the party rank and file to get rid of the current situation of the country.

BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said the foundation of the Awami League government was laid during the unlawful regime of Moyeenuddin-Fakhruddin. “The current government now ruling the country as the continuation of the undemocratic governance of Moyeenuddin-Fakhruddin regime”

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He said their party must free Khaleda fully from jail to lead people in the movement for the ‘restoration’ of democracy and their rights.

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, standing committee members, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, among others, spoke at the programme.