Senior Joint Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Friday said that the Election Commission (EC) had announced the poll schedule to fulfil the government's desires.
The top BNP leader had previously voiced rejection of the poll schedule announced last Wednesday. As per the schedule, the national elections are slated for January 7 next year.
During a virtual press conference two days later on Friday, he said, "The chief election commissioner has 'surrendered' to Sheikh Hasina without safeguarding the interests of free, fair and participatory elections."
He labelled the schedule 'one-sided', accusing the government of establishing a "pharaoh's reign" in the country.
Rizvi said, "Sheikh Hasina's Awami League is advancing with a template and pattern of establishing 'fascism'. Democracy-loving people are being injured as soon as they demand fair elections."
"Bangladeshis are now targets of Sheikh Hasina's bullets. The Awami League's repeated killing of democracy is their hallmark."
Predicting the government's "collapse", Rizvi said, "The ongoing movement to establish people's power and rights will serve as a warning to all dictators. A decade-and-a-half-long political crisis is reaching its peak."
Asserting that the BNP's movement is garnering global support, Rizvi commented, "Today, the world's conscience is awakened. Supporters of democracy worldwide back the struggle to emancipate Bangladeshis from the exploitation and oppression of a cruel dictator."
"The ruling party has zero public support," he claimed.
At the press briefing, allegations were raised regarding widespread arrests of BNP leaders and activists. Rizvi said if they are not found at their homes, law enforcers are taking away their fathers, fathers-in-law, younger brothers and even daughters from their residences.
During the briefing, it was also alleged that police were ransacking the houses of BNP activists in the name of conducting searches.
He mentioned that in the past 24 hours, over 395 BNP leaders and activists were arrested nationwide, with cases filed against 1,065 individuals.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com