Govt now running steamroller to remove BNP, says Selima

BNP senior leader Selima Rahman alleged on Wednesday the government is harassing opposition leaders and activists by implicating them in fresh 'false cases' out of its fear of facing an imminent fall since it has already lost the ground beneath its feet, reports UNB.

"The government gets scared when it hears BNP's name. They know there's no ground under their feet and the nationalist forces can overthrow them at any moment through a mass upsurge," she said.

The BNP leader came up with the remarks while speaking at a milad mahfil organised by Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal at the party's Nayapaltan central office in the city seeking early recovery of party chief Khaleda Zia, its standing committee member Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas.

The BNP leader also alleged the government is now running a 'steamroller' all over the country to eliminate BNP by arresting its leaders and activists in 'false' cases.

On November 12, a total of 11 buses were set on fire at different parts of Dhaka. Police filed 16 cases accusing several hundred BNP leaders and activists on charges of torching the vehicles.

Selima, a BNP standing committee member, said his party did not have any programme at Nayapaltan on November 12, but Jubo Dal leaders and activists gathered in front of his party office on that day to bring out a procession while BNP had a press briefing on that day's by-polls to Dhaka-18 and Sirajganj- 1.

"Though we didn't have any scheduled programme, a water cannon vehicle was kept there and our office was encircled by the police who later filed false cases against the leaders and activists of our party, Swechchasebak Dal and Jubo Dal. They're now harassing our leaders and activists by implicating them in the cases," she said.

The BNP leader said his party men who were staying outside Dhaka on November 12 were also made accused in the vehicle torching cases.