BNP fighting to restore democracy: Mirza Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the party is now fighting to restore democratic rule in the country.
"Our only demand is that Sheikh Hasina has to resign from parliament, parliament be dissolved and power handed over to an impartial caretaker government," he reiterated at the BNP rally in Faridpur yesterday.
"For the last three days in Faridpur, our workers from all the surrounding districts took a great deal of trouble to participate in the rally. It is a big fight against the government, which is isolated from the countrymen," Fakhrul said, speaking as the chief guest of the rally.
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He also praised the partymen for their dedication and said their struggle is for the sovereignty of the country.
"The Awami League government has destroyed the country after coming to power. They destroyed politics, the economy and our future," he added.
Accusing the Awami League-led government of laundering Tk10 lakh crore during its tenure, BNP secretary general said, "Today 42% people in the country are living below the poverty line. But the government says we have become a middle income country."
BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas has said the ruling Awami League will not be allowed to take away people's voting rights anymore.
"We will fight to get our right to vote back," said the BNP leader.
Thousands of BNP leaders and activists, from different districts, joined the rally at the Abdul Aziz Institution ground in Kamarpur, Faridpur, defying all obstacles including a transport strike announced ahead of the rally.
The rally kicked off around 11am with BNP leaders from Faridpur, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Rajbari, and Shariatpur delivering speeches followed by central and divisional party leaders.
Like previous rallies, a seat was kept empty on the stage for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia -- who is on interim release after being convicted in two corruption cases.
Since early morning, the Komarpur playground venue manifested a festive mood filled with party slogans and songs chanted by BNP activists, many of whom started to come to the venue two-three days earlier and camped there at night. The rally ground and surrounding areas were also packed to the rafters.
Among others, BNP Standing Committee member, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Vice Chairman AZM Zahid Hossain and Organizing Secretary Shama Obaid, Faridpur district BNP Member Secretary AK Kibria spoke at the rally presided over by Faridpur BNP convenor ASM Qayyum.
Meanwhile, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, said at a press briefing in Dhaka that the police raided homes of many BNP leaders and activists in many districts including Rajbari and Faridpur.
"Bus services were halted. Even cellular services were cut off in Faridpur," the senior BNP leader added.
Commuters in Faridpur faced a difficult time amid a 38-hour transport strike, enforced by the Faridpur Bus Owners Workers Oikya Parishad.
Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) bus services were also suspended in Faridpur since Friday (11 November) morning.
Faridpur bus owners and workers' association, however, claimed the scheduled strike was aimed at banning the movement of three-wheelers on highways.
Similar strikes were enforced ahead of the BNP's recent rallies in Barishal, Mymensingh, Khulna and Rangpur.
BNP will conclude their series of rallies through a mass gathering in Dhaka on 10 December
Ex-Bagerhat Swechchasebak Dal GS shot dead
Former general secretary of the Bagerhat unit Swechchasebak Dal, BNP's volunteer wing, was shot dead by unidentified assailants around 9:30pm Friday.
The deceased Nur A Alam Bhuiyan, 25, was from the Bashabati area of Bagerhat town.
"The unidentified men fled the scene after shooting him multiple times" KM Azizul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bagerhat Model police station told The Business Standard.
Nur A Alam was declared dead after he was rushed to Bagerhat Sheikh Razia Naser General Hospital. "Efforts are underway to catch the culprits," the OC said.
32 BNP men detained in city
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested at least 32 BNP men from the capital's Mohakhali and Banani area on Friday (11 November) night.
"They have been arrested over allegation of conspiracy against the government", said Hasan Muhammad Muhtarim, assistant commissioner of Mirpur zone of DMP.
Police detained 25 people from SKS Food Court in Mohakhali area after raiding the place.
"They were in a secret meeting and we are investigating whether all of them are involved with the conspiracy or not," he added.
Another police official said, "The detainees have been taken to Kafrul Police Station and legal action will be taken against them after investigation,"
Dhaka city North unit BNP convener Amanullah Aman and member secretary Aminul Haque, in a statement on Saturday, condemned the arrests and demanded withdrawal of the "fabricated" case as well as their immediate unconditional release.
