BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday accused the government of creating an unbecoming situation in the country by instigating the communal forces. “The government is carrying out a false campaign that we’ve supported Hefazat and fundamentalists, and we’re instigating them from behind the scene to create a communal problem in the country,” he said. The BNP leader said, “I would like to clearly say it’s not BNP, but the government has instigated them (Hefazat and fundamentalists), and created such a situation in the country.” He made the remarks while speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office. The BNP leader said Hefazat activists wanted to bring out a normal procession from Baitul Mukarram Mosque on Friday, but police attacked them at the north gate while the ‘ruling party cadres’ at the south gate of the mosque, leaving many people injured. He said the Hefazat activists were killed at Hathazari in Chattogram the same way as police attacked a peaceful procession of the organisation and opened fire on its activists. Fakhrul said the government has opened a stigmatised chapter on the Independence Day by shedding the blood of people in Dhaka, Chattogram and Brahmanbaria by unleashing law enforcers and Awami League cadres when the nation was celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Independence. He said their party tried to register its protest against the bloodletting and killing through holding protest rallies in the metropolitan cities Monday in district towns on Tuesday, but police and the ruling party men attacked BNP leaders and activists at different parts of the country. Fakhrul condemned the police attacks on BNP leaders and workers during their party’s two-day peaceful programme. He said their party tried to peacefully hold their programmes in protest against the killing of at least 15 people in the country over the last few days. “But our programme has no relation with Hefazat.” The BNP leader alleged that ruling party leaders and some media are trying to give their party’s programmes a different colour involving it with Hefazat.

Speakers at a virtual discussion early Monday laid emphasis on initiating a cultural movement and restoring the original constitution of 1972 to tackle communal forces who are making efforts to raise their ugly heads again.

The anti-liberation and communal forces are still hatching conspiracies in the country.