AL setting fires on buses, houses to thwart our movement: Rizvi

The Awami League's (AL) leaders and activists are setting vehicles and houses on fire to thwart the BNP's movement, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged.

"The BNP leaders and activists are being arrested indiscriminately and the ruling party is setting fires in various places, vehicles and houses to thwart our movement," said Rizvi during a virtual press conference on Sunday (5 November).

Alleging sabotage by the ruling party, he further said, "Otherwise, during the 28 October rally, how did two trucks suddenly appear in front of the chief justice's residence? It was their plan. Their police and administration was behind it. They attacked the BNP's rally with their state power, police and RAB. Now they are harassing our activists by filing cases."

"Obaidul Quader laughs and asks where the BNP leaders are? He said we hold briefings from the cave…Tikka Khan [military commander in East Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War] used to make such comments after carrying out a ruthless military crackdown and Operation Searchlight," Rizvi said.

He said the people of Bangladesh could not protest publicly against the brutality of Pakistani occupation forces as they had to move from their homes, and villages and cross the borders of the country.

"At that time, Tikka Khan and Niazi said exactly the same thing… They called the freedom fighters miscreants. Obaidul Quader is now using exactly the same language," the BNP leader observed.

Rizvi said the same situation that prevailed in 1971 is now prevailing in Bangladesh because of the government's suppressive acts.

He also said Obaidul Quader is now following the role of Tikka Khan and Niazi and shedding the blood of people as part of a process of eliminating opposition parties and BNP from Bangladesh.

"A storm of arrests is going on all over the country. You [govt] are not sparing anyone from the national level to the grassroots in the arrest drives," he said.

He further said the ruling party is devising a "cruel plan" to eliminate the BNP from the country, aiming to once again hold "another farcical election".

"The Election Commission will announce the names of winning candidates as per the list that Sheikh Hasina will hand out to them in the upcoming elections."

He claimed that 261 leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliates have been arrested in the last 24 hours. "Around 1,600 activists have been accused in 9 cases."