Govt's ban on 'peaceful actions' shows autocratic bent: Delwar

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BNP secretary general Khondoker Delwar Hossain said Thursday the government has showed its autocratic stance by imposing a ban on peaceful activities, reports bdnews24.com.
"By imposing ban on a peaceful commemorative meeting the government has infringed on the people's basic right to freedom of expression," he said at a press conference Thursday protesting a ban on a BNP commemorative meeting at his Manikganj constituency.
"The ban was imposed fearing that the meeting might discuss the government's failure," he told the journalists at the opposition party's central office at Paltan in the city Thursday.
He said the local administration's claim that the ban was imposed because security situation was not right, but was just 'a lame excuse'.
He claimed government leaders were behind the ban. Commemorative and prayer meetings were arranged Thursday for the late leaders and workers of BNP and its associate organisations at Daulatpur Upazila in Manikganj.
But following objections from local Awami League, the administration there imposed a Section 144 ban on gatherings of more than five people from Wednesday night.
Delwar and party MP Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury were supposed to take part in the programme as the chief and special guests respectively.
Asked whether he thought ban had anything to do with making Chowdhury the special guest, he said: "This is not right. Salahuddin Quader Chowd-hury is a BNP leader and an MP and a citizen of this country. He cannot be prevented from speaking."
He alleged that false cases were being filed and the opposition leaders and workers persecuted across the country.