Mass arrest a tactic of govt to cling to power: Fakhrul

FE REPORT | Published: July 27, 2024 22:45:15

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir demanded on Saturday that the government withdraw all cases filed against the detained opposition leaders and students and release them immediately.
He made the demand in a statement issued on the day.
Condemning the ongoing mass arrest of leaders of BNP and other political parties by the law enforcing agencies, he alleged that the government was applying different tactics for holding on to power.
Mr Fakhrul said that the convener of Gonoadhikar Parishad Nurul Haque Noor was tortured during remand.
He also said that three coordinators of quota reform movement Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud and Abu Baker Majumder were picked up by the Detective Branch (DB) of police from a hospital while they were undergoing treatment there.
He termed this (picking up) as an inhuman act and warned that it would only compound the prevailing crisis.
The government is applying a tactic of 'medieval period torture' on the opponents just to remain in power, he alleged.
Mr Fakhurl further said that the people of the country became enraged against the government for its repression on the opponents, skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances of the opponents and violation of their fundamental rights over the last 17 years.
He condemned the arrest of journalist Sayeed Khan, organising secretary of a faction of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), also correspondent of the Mirror Asia.
He said the government became desperate as it has started filing false cases and arresting courageous writers, brave democratic- minded intellectuals and protesting journalists, which is a bad example of the government's fascist face.
"We (BNP) call upon the government to stop such terrible arrest game," he said.
The BNP secretary general demanded immediate release of detained Nurul Haque Noor, journalist Sayeed Khan, BNP leaders and activists, students and ordinary people.
He also condemned the falsehoods made by the ruling party leaders against BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) extended on Saturday its support to the call of BNP for raising unity among the opponents against the backdrop of recent political situation.
LDP extended the support in a statement issued on the day signed by its president Oli Ahmed.
"There is no alternative but to forge unity among the opposition parties in the anti-government movement," he said.
"We (opponents) must take a firm stand against this corrupt government and lead the country towards a right direction. We support BNP's call for unity among opposition political parties," he continued.
Earlier, the BNP secretary general on Friday called upon all political parties to get united to oust the government.
"We ( BNP) call upon all democratic political parties, cultural and social organisations and persons to forge a national unity in this crucial juncture of the nation for restoring democracy that has been snatched away and to liberate people being deprived of their rights and to liberate the nation," he said.
He said that the opposition parties could give their respective consents on BNP's unity call through statement due to time and communication system constraints.
He said that they would soon give joint statement of the opponents after getting their written consents.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com