The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday said the countrymen rejected the Awami League as they would not compromise with their rights to vote and democracy.
BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan made the comments at a discussion on contemporary politics on the occasion of the 88th birth anniversary of the party's founder Ziaur Rahman.
The Ziaur Rahman Foundation (ZRF) hosted the event at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).
"We (BNP) believe in a peaceful movement. For this reason, the countrymen didn't go to polling centres on the 'dummy' election day on January 07.
"The Awami League has been failed in politics and they (AL) are also rejected by the people," he said.
Accusing the AL of reviving one-party BAKSAL rule, Dr Khan said, "Our ongoing movement is not for getting back power, rather it's for restoring democracy by toppling the government."
"Not for power and money, our sworn aims are to bring back democracy and re-establish people's right to vote," he maintained.
"They (AL) killed democracy on several occasions. They established one-party BAKSAL rule within 11 minutes in parliament in 1975."
The BNP veteran said Ziaur Rahman later established a multiparty democracy in the country through a 'sepoy-public' revolution.
He accused the AL of snatching democracy over the last 15 years and establishing BAKSAL-02 in the country.
"We (BNP and other opponents) want to return democracy to the people afresh. And for this reason, we've waged a street movement. We'll continue our movement until the restoration of democracy…"
The former minister said, "The people of Bangladesh don't like to see violent politics. They (people) prefer to see a peaceful political environment and the real development of the country."
"Is there any instance in the civilised world that casualties are being happened very frequently on the frontier of two friendly countries?"
"We want to maintain friendly relations with all (countries)," said Dr Khan.
BNP chairperson's adviser Jainul Abdin Faruq accused the ruling party of holding power by force. "So, a free, fair and participatory election is never possible under the AL government."
ZRF research cell convener Dr Sayeda Tajnin Waris Simki chaired the discussion while ZRF working committee member Abul Jasnat Mohammad Shamim presented a keynote.
BNP's science and technology affairs secretary Riazul Islam Rizu and education affairs secretary ABM Obaidul Islam, among others, were present.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
