Quit to smooth the path to democracy

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has asserted that the ruling Awami League-led government must quit in the interest of democracy.

Terming the government a tyrant, it said the AL has established a one-party rule in the country and still stands on the shoulders of the 180-million people.

"We've taken to the streets to restore democracy by toppling the government through our peaceful movement," BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moin Khan said at a discussion on Friday.

Thousands of BNP leaders and activists braved afternoon rain to join the programme hosted outside the nationalist party's Nayapaltan headquarters, marking its 45th founding anniversary.

Dr Moin said Ziaur Rahman brought back the multi-party democratic system in the country.

"AL never believes in democracy. Today, it has established a one-party Baksal rule as it wants to remain in power for long through killings, enforced disappearances and filing false cases…"

"But the people of the country won't allow them to remain in power," he warned.

Another standing committee member, Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury, said police and the judiciary are the key bottlenecks in the ongoing one-point movement.

BNP stalwarts Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Shahjahan Omar, Ahmed Azam Khan, Amanullah Aman, Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel, Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Abdus Salam Azad, Shama Obaid, Fazlul Haque Milon, Mir Sarfat Ali Sopu, Kamruzzaman Ratan and Nazimuddin Alam, among others, were present.

Dhaka south city BNP unit convener Abdus Salam chaired the discussion, moderated by Dhaka north unit member secretary Aminul Haque, before taking out a colourful procession at 4:00 pm.

Chanting anti-government slogans, the procession paraded through Fakirapool, Arambagh, Motijheel and Hatkhola areas before ending at Rajdhani Supermarket at Tikatuli.

Marking the day, the opposition party organised various programmes, including discussions and rallies in the capital and elsewhere across the country.

The speakers at these programmes called upon the government to resign immediately and hold the next general election under a neutral caretaker government.

At another programme, Gayeshwar Roy said democratic foreign countries out of their own conscience are taking about Bangladeshis' rights to vote, democracy and human rights.

"The democratic world is calling in favour of democracy, human rights, justice and Bangladeshi people's right to vote out of their democratic responsibility."

Mr Roy said this to the media after placing wreaths on the grave of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at Sher-E-Bangla Hagar in the capital.

He said that the BNP is committed to establishing social justice, multi-party democracy, and people's voting and constitutional rights.

Terming the BNP founder a rare son of the soil, he said Ziaur Rahman founded BNP on 01 September 1978.

The party's flag was hoisted at the Nayapaltan central office and the chairperson's Gulshan office.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com