BNP senior leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury warned on Friday the country will face a big catastrophe if the next election is not held in a fair and credible manner, reports UNB.
"There's no alternative to returning the ownership of the country to its people through a representative government. The country will move towards a big disaster if people can't exercise their right to franchise and their verdict is not reflected in the results of the next polls," he said.
The BNP leader made the remarks while speaking at a discussion at the National Press Club in the city arranged by Youth Forum in memory of ex-President Abdur Rahman Biswas who died on November 3.
Khasru, a BNP standing committee member, urged Awami League to come to the path of democracy for the welfare of the country and its people.
He also called upon the ruling party to take proper steps to ensure the participation of all parties in the next polls by creating a level-playing field.
The BNP leader alleged that the government has pushed the country into violence only to hang onto power by force. "Now people have no security as the incidents of killing and enforced disappearance take place regularly."
He also said the overstay of Chief Justice SK Sinha abroad after the ending of his leave has exposed that the government has driven him out of the country.
Khasru also said the people have lost their confidence in the judiciary due to the government's interference in it.
He said two other basic pillars-legislative and executive branches-have also become dysfunctional. "The executive branch has been destroyed through politicisation and establishing the government's control on it, while the unelected parliament has got a domestic opposition."
Meanwhile, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy claimed on Friday that their chairperson Khaleda Zia through her statements in a special court showed a comfortable and safe exit for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
"Many people and foreign diplomats now often say a comfortable and safe exit for the present government or Sheikh Hasina should be created for quitting power. Our leader (Khaleda) in her statements in the court on Thursday gave a clear indication about it," he said.
The BNP leader further said, "She (Khaleda) said she has forgiven Sheikh Hasina. Through it, Khaleda Zia has already showed an exit route for Sheikh Hasina."
Jatiyatabadi Sangrami Dal arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the 'National Revolution and Solidarity Day'.
While giving her self-defence statement in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case before the makeshift court of Special Judge-5 at Bakshibazar, Khaleda on Thursday said she would not be vindictive against her archrival Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
She also said she personally forgave Hasina though she constantly makes indecent remarks about Zia and his other family members and shows her hostile attitude towards them.
Gayeshwar said the BNP chief through her comments said she would not show indecent manner to anybody and would not resort to any politics of vengeance, particularly against Hasina.
"Because, we're fighting for democracy and it'll be our great revenge on Awami League if we can restore democracy. From this feeling, she said she won't adopt the politics of vengeance."
The BNP leader said Hasina fears of reprisal as she evicted Khaleda from her house, harassed her in many ways and carried out repressive acts against lakhs of BNP leaders and activists. "She (Hasina) is not considering her future way comfortable as the load of her misdeeds has got very heavier."
Gayeshwar urged the Prime Minister to believe Khaleda's statements and practise democracy together to materialise the spirit of the War of Liberation.
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