Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the absolute win of Awami League in the January 7 election was the victory of Bangladesh, its people, and continuation of democracy and development. The prime minister was addressing several hundred expatriate Awami League leaders from across the globe gathered at her official residence Ganabhaban to congratulate her on her party's fourth consecutive win in the parliamentary election Hasina, who is also the chief of ruling Awami League, said that her government has been able to ensure people's right to vote in this month's election.  “We have ensured the constitutional right of the people,” she said. She also said that the election was highly competitive as Awami League has opened the contest to all. Read: Don’t allow the ‘looters’ to come to power: PM Hasina tells Bangladeshi expatriates in South Africa “We have given our electoral symbol boat to our candidates and asked others from the party to participate in the election whoever were interested,” she said. Talking about BNP which did not participate in the election, she questioned how will they come to the election.  “In 2008 election BNP with their 20 party alliance got 30 seats only while AL alone bagged 233 seats,” she added. That election was held under a neutral caretaker government. In this connection, she mentioned that many people thought in 2008 that BNP is equal to Awami League considering the organisational strength.  “But it was proved wrong in 2008 election,” she said. Read: 1.49 crore Bangladeshi expatriates work in 176 countries After that, she said, BNP never wanted election. They insread unleashed arson attacks killing people and set fire to trains to foil the elections.  “The more they (BNP) unleash the arson attack the more people will reject them. They know that they were rejected by the people,” she said. The prime minister said that's  why  BNP does not want to participate in the election. “Rather they wanted to spoil the election and looked to the illegal way to be in the power,” she said. Also read: Expatriates send $1.65 bn in 26 days of May

Calling upon his party colleagues to roar on the streets protesting the killing of a Swechchasebak Dal leader in police firing, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday warned that the Awami League leaders will not even get time to flee through the back door. “They (govt) have talked about giving hurricane lamps in the hands of BNP leaders. But the time has come for you to hold the hurricane lamps in your hands. Even, you won’t get time to hold the hurricane lamps and flee through the back door,” he said. Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader said Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka could not flee the country while its president Gotabaya Rajapaksa escaped to the Maldives. “The dictators want to flee but people don’t let them do so. You should keep it in mind.” BNP’s Dhaka south and north city units arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting the killing of Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim in police firing in Bhola. Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina slammed BNP for staging protests carrying the hurricane lamp against the government's power-saving measures. "BNP leaders are holding demonstrations with hurricane lamps. Let's give them hurricane lamps to carry, and show them the door," she said. Fakhrul alleged that the Awami League government has turned Bangladesh into a cremation ground over the last 15 years through its ‘repression’ and ‘misrule’. Read:BNP holds talks with People's League, Jatiya Dal to wage greater movement “You have also turned Bangladesh into a fascist and failed state. Where’s your success? Showing Metrorail and the Padma Bridge they highlight their all success. But 42%of people have gone below the poverty line. Many of our people now can’t eat two meals a day,” he observed. The BNP leader alleged that the government has ruined the educational institutions, the health sector and the economy. “So, we can’t give them (AL) more time to hang onto power. The fall of Hasina's government is now our one-point demand.” He called upon the BNP leaders and activists to get ready for realising their one-point demand and establish a pro-people government through a credible election under a neutral government. Fakhrul said their party’s all associate bodies will start staging demonstrations gradually from Thursday in protest against the killing of Abdur Rahim. Later, he said their party will work out their next course of action at a meeting led by BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman. As the party activists were demanding a harsher programme like hartal, Fakhrul advised them to first establish their control on the streets. “Are you all ready to take to the streets? Nothing will happen if we can’t take a position on the streets. So, get ready to take to the streets to establish a government of people by ousting the fascist and authoritarian regime,” he said pointing at his party colleagues. Fakhrul said police attacked a rally of BNP in Bhola without any provocation and sprayed bullets on the party leaders and activists, killing Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim and injuring many others. Fakhrul said critically injured Bhola Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Noor Alam has been fighting for life in an ICU of a hospital as he sustained a bullet in his head. “We the people of Bangladesh can’t sit idle when Awami forces--worse than the Pakistani occupation forces--use the state machinery and resort to killings, enforced disappearances and repressive acts. We must roar again recalling our old tradition and history and we have to establish control on the streets to topple the usurper regime,” he said.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday alleged that the government has restarted an “old game of setting trap to eliminate BNP”.

BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Tuesday said the assault of a navy officer by the son of a ruling party MP has exposed how the Awami League leaders have become wayward by staying in power for over a decade.

Police arrested a young man as he allegedly criticized leaders of ruling Awami League on social media Facebook from Bularati village of Sadar upazila on Tuesday.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday urged all leaders and activists to get mentally ready as coronavirus situation may worsen in coming days.