Applying force on students to have dire consequences: Moudud

BNP senior leader Moudud Ahmed warned that the consequences will be very dire if the government applies force on the demonstrating students seeking safer roads, reports UNB.

"You (govt) are saying you've accepted the students' demands as those are justified. But the organisation which is under a minister has enforced a strike to put transport workers against adolescent boys and girls. What would be more notorious plot than this?" he said.

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader further said, "We would like to clearly say if you apply force on the students to suppress their movement, the people of Bangladesh will put up a resistance against it."

Sammilita Chhatra Forum arranged the programme at the National Press Club on Saturday demanding the release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and other party leaders.

Moudud, a BNP standing committee member, urged the government to stop the suppression and repression of students. "You won't be able to suppress the student movement with repressive measures."

He condemned the government's 'plot to resist students' by a heinous transport strike programme.

The BNP leader said people are going through serious sufferings due to the transport strike enforced by a minister-backed organisation. "The government is responsible for it."

He also criticised the government for what he said letting loose Chhatra League and police to attack the students as it did in the past to suppress those who waged the movement demanding reform in quota system.

The BNP leader thinks the student movements are the manifestation of people's pent-up anger against the government. "No student and the country's people have any confidence in the regime."

Moudud blamed the shipping and road transport and bridges ministers for anarchy in the transport sector and the bad shape of roads.

He also demanded the resignation of the two ministers.

Meanwhile, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged on Saturday that ruling party activists wearing student dresses have indulged in anarchic acts taking positions at different intersections in the capital to malign the student movement.

"The activists of Chhatra League and Jubo League took positions at different intersections with evil motives. They're damaging vehicles and torching those in disguise of students to confuse people about the logical demands of adolescents and children," said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

He came up with the allegation while speaking at a press conference at BNP's Nayapaltan central office.

The BNP leader claimed that ruling party activists torched a bus near Moghbazar on Friday and attacked a CNG refueling station of a BNP leader on Saturday.

Besides, he alleged, the Chhatra League activists attacked agitating students and journalists at Dhanmondi and ransacked the office of an online portal on Friday.