BNP senior leader Hafizuddin Khan has said a quarter may have been behind the incidents at Dhanmondi-32 house and other establishments as part of a plot to create disorder and obstruct the restoration of democracy in the country, report agencies.
He came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion on 'The Future of Democracy in the Current Political Context’, organised by Swadhinta Forum, a pro-BNP platform, at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital on Thursday.
He, however, expressed the hope that the interim government would pave the way for the restoration of democracy through a prompt election, rather than creating obstacles to it.
"The incident that began yesterday (Wednesday) is still ongoing; it is not over yet. We do not know who carried it out, nor are we aware of the government's role. We'll wait a little while, and perhaps we'll know by today (Thursday) who is responsible for it," Hafiz said.
He said their party would give its reaction to the incident once they have complete information about it.
"But we believe that some people may have created this chaos to obstruct the path of democracy in the coming days. In particular, we must investigate whether our neighbouring country (India) have any involvement in it," the BNP leader said.
He said his party is keeping an eye on the developments of Wednesday's incident. "We hope the democratic system will be restored very soon in the country because many incidents happen due to the lack of democracy."
"We hope that the current government will quickly remove all the obstacles in the path of democracy. They should be aware that they should not create any further barriers," the BNP leader said.
Hafiz said a strong unity of all democratic forces and students is now crucial as Sheikh Hasina, currently in India, is once again trying to destabilise the country.
He said they have observed with sadness that interim government chief Professor Dr Yunus has requested students to form a political party. "There's no need for it. They (students) will form their own party, whether anyone requests them or not."
Hafiz said his party will welcome it if the students form a party, as there is nothing wrong with forming a party. "Rather, another choice will be made for the people."
He said the students have got enough time to launch the party and participate in the election. "They want more time. We believe the election must be held within this year. So, we request the government to arrange a free and fair national election to end all chaos, obstacles, and plots against democracy."
The BNP leader expressed the hope that the interim government will dedicate all its efforts to arranging the election.
He said the people of the country want to see the restoration of democracy, but only India seeks instability and does not want democracy to flourish in Bangladesh.
Hafizuddin also said his party welcomes the government's initiative for talks on the reform proposals made by various commissions.
Hafizuddin said the BNP, in coordination with like-minded parties, will present their reform proposals to the government unitedly. Some people believe the government is trying to buy time under the guise of reforms.
"Professor Muhammad Yunus is a wise and well-known figure worldwide. We have placed our trust in him and promised him our cooperation. We'll do so. But we hope that he will not break our trust. He'll remain impartial and ensure a free and fair election to free the nation from all crises," he said.
Meanwhile, BNP Publicity Secretary Sultan Salauddin Tuku said the fascist Awami League (AL)-led government snatched the people's right to vote during its 15-year misrule.
"The government led by Hasina has taken away the people's right to vote. When the people are not valued in a country, the government turns into a dictatorship," he said while addressing an award distribution ceremony and pitha festival at Shaheed Smriti Municipal Park in Tangail on Thursday.
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