BNP urges people to intensify movement

The BNP-led 20-party alliance on Wednesday called upon the country's people to intensify its ongoing movement to resist the government's bid to 'annihilate democracy and opposition parties, reports UNB.

In a statement, BNP joint secretary general Barkatullah Bulu, on behalf of the alliance, said: "The current regime buried democracy on January 5, 2015…now they're sending democratic institutions and people belonging to the opposition and having opposing views to that grave."

He further said: "We call upon all, including democracy-loving individuals, organisations, parties and 20-party leaders and activists to further intensify ongoing peaceful movement imbued with the spirit of the Liberation War to force the killers and the government which is destroying democracy and democratic institutions to pull back its black hands."

Bulu alleged that the government was arresting pro-BNP elected mayors of different city corporations and municipalities filing 'false cases' against them to place their unelected party men at the helms of those local government bodies.

 "It has now become clear to people like the daylight that the government doesn't believe in democracy and care about people's mandate," he added.

Meanwhile, Dhaka city unit BNP warned the government on Wednesday that the consequences will be dire if the party's joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed is not safely returned to his family soon..

In a statement, Dhaka city unit BNP convener Mirza Abbas and member secretary Habibunnabi Khan Sohel said, "Salahuddin must be returned to his family unharmed immediately. Or else, the consequences won't be good. One day they (govt) have to stand in the dock."

BNP and Salauddin's family members have claimed that law enforcers picked him up from a house at Uttara on the night of March 10, an allegation denied by the law enforcers and the government.