BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Wednesday said it was a great joke that law enforcers were calling voters to cast their votes as dogs were sleeping at the voting centres during by-polls to Brahmanbaria-2 seat. “By-elections are being held (Wednesday) in various seats, including Brahmanbaria-2. There has been no voters in the polling station since morning. The media are saying three/four dogs are sleeping at a centre in Brahmanbaria,” he said. In a brief address prior to inaugurating their party’s fourth march programme, the BNP leader said, “Allah saves us as the dogs have no right to vote…I have just got the news that the police are urging voters to come to the polling station using loudspeakers. I have never heard such a great joke in my life.” The by-polls to the six parliamentary seats — left vacant after BNP MPs resigned —were held amid some stray incidents on Wednesday. The six constituencies are: Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4 and 6, Chapainawabganj-2, 3 and Brahmanbaria-2. Advocate Abdus Sattar who resigned from the Brahmanbaria-2 seat contested the by-polls. BNP leaders alleged that the government was playing various tricks to ensure the victory of Sattar, who was expelled from the party.” Leaders and activists of BNP's Dhaka South City unit marched towards the capital's Malibagh from Kamalapur Stadium, ending the party’s 4-day programme to press home their  10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a  non-party caretaker government. Mirza Abbas formally inaugurated the programme in front of Bir Shrestha Shaheed Sipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur around 3:25 pm. The march ended at Malibgah Bazar after parading over nearly a five-kilometre stretch of the road via Mugda and Khilgaon. Read more: Mirza Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas picked up by detectives: BNP This was the fourth and last such programme of BNP, as the party's Dhaka north city unit marched from Badda to Malibagh on Saturday and the Dhaka south city unit marched from Jatrabari to Jurain on Monday and North City unit marched from Gabtoli to Mirpur on Tuesday. Abbas urged the government to quit power for holding a credible election under a carter government. He said the caretaker government was the main demand of the Awami League and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in 1996.  “The Prime Minister at that time wanted the caretaker government for life. But they can’t keep their words,” he observed.   The BNP leader said the government has become scared of losing power even seeing a silent march of the BNP. “The fall of this regime is impending and their days are numbered.” He also said their march is an advanced funeral procession of the current government. Abbas slammed the government for increasing the power tariff just 19 days after the previous hike. He said the current ‘fascist and monstrous’ regime must be removed from power to ensure the welfare of the people and protect the country from misrule.

BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Monday said their party leaders and activists will rather take bullets in chest, but will not leave the streets until the fall of the current government. Speaking at a rally in the city’s Segunbagicha area in the capital, he also said their party will come up with a different strategy of movement this time since law enforcers have resorted to firing at their peaceful programmes. “We’ll reach a situation someday when processions and rallies will be held at every lane and locality of Dhaka, but you (govt) won’t be able to resist it. We’ll see how many police you have and how many activists we have.  We won’t spare if anyone tries to shoot us,” the BNP leader said. Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, alleged that their party has been obstructed from holding rallies by closing roads and traditional venues like Press Club and Paltan. Also read: No non-partisan govt, EC won’t be abolished: Tofail Ahmed “We won’t keep the streets only in your hands. We’ll surely take over the streets. The leaders of BNP and its student and youth wings have learned how to receive bullets. So, there’s nothing to be worried and we’ll take bullets in our chests, but won’t leave the streets until this regime is ousted,” he warned. As part of BNP’s plan to hold 16 rallies in the capital in the current month, Shahbagh and Ramna zones of its Dhaka south city unit arranged the programme in protest against the increase in prices of essentials, fuel and transport fares and the killing of three opposition leaders in police firing. Abbas said police shot dead Swechchasebak Dal leader Abudr Rahim, Chhatra Dal leader Noor-e-Alam in Bhola and Jubo Dal leader Shaon Prodhan in Narayanganj by attacking BNP’s programmes against the price hike in daily essentials. He said BNP leaders and activists are now being implicated in many ‘false’ cases.  “But we won’t give up so easily in the face of firing and cases.” The BNP leader said the movement was carried out in a traditional process during the anti-Ershad movement in the 90s as there was no police firing at that time. “Since firing (at our programmes) is going on, we’ll take a different strategy of the movement in a different way. The movement can’t go on always the same way.  We’ll definitely take suitable measures based on the evolving situation,” he observed. Abbas said Shaon, Rahim and Noor-e-Alam sacrificed their lives in the recent movement while many people in the past laid down their lives for the liberation of the country and for the protection of democracy. Also read: Don’t antagonise people: BNP warns civil servants “We’re also ready to sacrifice our lives to save the country and its independence and sovereignty.  I promise you that I will be there on the frontline of the movement at the right time. But we want to ensure a safe future for our children. We can’t under any circumstances leave behind our new generation in the hands of a hyena-like regime of Awami League,” he said. Abbas said the prices of essential commodities will not go down as long as the Awami League government is in power. “This regime has made the poor people poorer and those living abroad richer. Aziz Khan of Summit Group, a brother of (AL leader Farooq Khan) is one of the richest persons in Singapore.  Many such rich people from a poor country (Bangladesh) are now among the richest men in many countries like Aziz Khan in Singapore.”