BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan said on Monday his party will be there in the frontline of a movement to be launched under 'Greater Unity' platform to force the government to hold a credible national election, reports UNB.
"We're saying from BNP's side we're not only willing to forge a greater unity, but also want to remain in the frontline of the movement to be launched by the unity. We'll take part in all the action programmes on the streets," he said.
The BNP leader came up with the comment while speaking at a discussion organised by Sammilita Chhatra Forum at the National Press Club in the city, demanding the release of Khaleda Zia and other detained BNP leaders.
Nazrul, a BNP standing committee member, said his chairperson Khaleda Zia called for forging a greater unity in 2016 to realise various demands, including the resignation of the government, holding the polls under a non-party administration, dissolution of parliament and deployment of army.
"We now see left political parties, Jukta Front and Dr Kamal Hossain's Oikya Prokriya are also making the same demands. Since our demands are identical, we can certainly carry out a movement together."
The BNP leader said all the political parties, except the ruling party and its some allies, social organisations, Sujan, TIB and Ain O Salish Kendra are of the same opinion that it is not possible to hold the national election in a fair and credible manner under a partisan government.
"The administration, police and court can't protect the government since people have taken their position against it," he warned.
Nazrul urged the people of all walks of life to get united and take to the steers to foil the government's any plot to hold a 'farcical' election like the January-5, 2014 one.
He said his party wants to join the next polls as it believes change of power through polls. "But we're not interested in taking part in any farce or game in the name of an election."
Meanwhile, a BNP senior leader alleged police arrested his party's around 400 leaders and activists on their way to and from the Suhrawardy Udyan rally.
"Despite the government's various obstructions, huge people joined the rally, making the government scared," he said.
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the remarks while speaking at a press conference at BNP's Nayapaltan central office.
He criticised the government for arresting his party leaders and activists, saying it will not be able to suppress the party with its repressive acts.
The BNP leader said such arrest from a peaceful programme will only encourage his party men to put up a strong resistance against the government.
He demanded of the government to immediately release the arrested party leaders and activists.
Rizvi, on behalf of party acting chairman and secretary general, greeted BNP leaders and activists for making the rally a success with their spontaneous presence.
The BNP leader called 'delirium' Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader's comment that the 'poor presence' of people in the party's Suhrawardy Udyan rally exposed its unpopularity.
"The Awami League general secretary said the poor presence of people in BNP's rally has proved that its popularity decreased. It's his delirium out of frustration seeing the presence of huge people in the rally," he said.
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