AL, not BNP, mastermind of 'arson terrorism': Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday alleged that Awami League, not BNP, is the mastermind of the 'arson terrorism'.

"Terrified by the continuation of the ongoing movement and its increasing pace, they (AL leaders) are bringing up the old issues. Unfortunately, the truth is that Awami League itself, the government itself, is the mastermind behind the arson terrorism," he said.

The BNP leader made the remarks while talking to reporters after talks with three political parties at the BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office.

Fakhrul claimed that people belonging to Awami League were involved in all the incidents of arson attacks that happened centring the 10th parliamentary election.

Claiming that BNP is not involved in any terrorism, Fakhrul said, "We're a liberal democratic party. We believe in (change in power) through elections. We have never come to power by resorting to terrorism or arson attacks in the past, and we don't want to do it now as well."

He said their party leaders and activists have been subjected to repressions and suppressions over the party's recent rallies, but there was no provocation from BNP's side. "They (the ruling party) are trying to trigger violence through the provocations."

He said Awami League leaders are talking about arson attacks to divert the ongoing movement and peaceful rallies to a different direction and to foil it. "But it won't work as people are watching who is doing what."

Fakhrul said all the tricks of the Awami League to cling to power will go in vain because the only demand of the people is now the resignation of the government.

About the ruling party leaders' comment that no more concessions would be given to BNP on the streets, Fakhrul said, "Concessions are not given to anyone (in politics), it has to be earned."

Replying to a question, the BNP leader said the body language of a fascist regime never changes till the last moment. "But it'll collapse like a house of cards hit by the movement. HM Ershad's body language also remained unchanged until December 5, 1990, but collapsed the following day."

As part of their party's second phase of talks to forge national unity for a united movement, Fakhrul sat with the delegations of the Minority Janata Party, Bangladesh NAP, and Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal.

Nazrul Islam Khan, a standing committee member of BNP and 20-party coordinator, was also present during the meetings with the three parties.

BNP began its second phase of dialogue on 2 October to finalise the demands of the planned simultaneous movement.

Earlier, BNP had discussions with 23 parties during its first phase of talks that began on May 24 to work out the outline for launching a united movement to 'restore' democracy and people's voting rights.