BNP’s senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Monday said the government will not be able to suppress the people’s demand for a change in power.
“Common people have woken up and they’re joining our movement as they want a change in power. No one could suppress people’s demands for ages. This government will not be able to do it either,” he said.
Nazrul, a BNP standing committee member, came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion meeting organised by Muslim League at the Jatiya Press Club on the occasion of its bi-annual council.
He said people want that change for peace, welfare and prosperity.
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Nazrul said that though the government killed around 13 BNP leaders and activists and arrested many party leaders and activists over the last three months, every programme of their party was held successfully with the participation of a huge number of people.
The BNP leader recalled that most leaders of the Awami League were sent to jail during the 1969 movement while an unknown leader named Amena Begum ran the party.
”Awami League won the election after that movement. So, it’s not the correct idea that the movement cannot be won, and power cannot be gained if the opposition leaders are kept in jail,” he observed.
Stating that the government is making a mistake by staying in power by force, the BNP leader said, “They (AL leaders) are repeating the same mistakes despite knowing it. Does power make people so blind? All political parties go through good times and bad times like human life. We hope the ruling party will understand this.”
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Nazrul said democracy is established through elections, but the current government has destroyed the electoral system.
He also alleged that the government is making fun of the people by claiming to be an elected regime after usurping power by rigging votes and stuffing ballots at night.
The BNP leader said a polls-time non-party neutral government must be installed to restore people’s voting rights and to create a scope for them to freely choose their representatives as per their wish.
Nazrul said the ruling party leaders are indulging in widespread corruption and plundering in the name of development and mega projects.
"Development should happen for everyone. But about 13/14 thousand new millionaires have been created in our country over three/four years. One can see it as progress. But it is also the fact that 35 million to 40 million people have become poorer at the same time,” he said.