BNP leaders being picked up, pressured to join polls: Fakhrul

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday accused the government of hatching a plot to keep the opposition away from the next general election.
To do this, he said, the government started filing false cases against opposition leaders and awarding them different jail terms hastily.
He also said the government was putting pressure on probable BNP candidates to participate in the polls.
He came up with the remarks at a press briefing held at the party chairperson's political office in the capital's Gulshan area.
Mr Fakhrul termed the prime minister's speech on the St Martin's 'lease' issue a 'political strategy'.
He said the ruling Awami League once again started resorting to falsehood to face the opposition.
He put a question as to whether it would be possible to sue the PM under the Digital Security Act (DSA) for propaganda against BNP on the St Martin's issue.
Mr Fakhrul said BNP never compromised with the country's interests. He rather accused the government of doing so.
He claimed the premier's comment against BNP on St Martin's was false and baseless.
"The government will no longer remain in power. They (the government) are seeking help from foreigners. BNP and the people of the country, until their last drop of blood, won't allow anyone to take even a single inch of the country's land."
The BNP leader called upon the public servants to perform their duties properly for the fulfilment of people's desire.
Mr Fakhrul also urged them not to harm the country and the nation by obeying the government's illegal orders.
Dhaka south BNP convener Abdus Salam and other leaders were also present there.
Meanwhile, UNB adds: Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the intelligence agencies are picking up their potential candidates and putting pressure on them to join the next polls under the present government defying the party decision.
He asked the law enforcers to refrain from seditious activities like obstructing the peaceful movement of the people and unlawfully arresting and harassing opposition leaders and activists.
"I want to share with you (journalists) awful information that among our politically active leaders who earlier contested or will contest the election are being picked up by the intelligence agencies, and they are being told to join the election even if BNP boycotts it," the BNP leader said.
He said their many leaders are informing the party high command that they are being threatened by the law enforcers to participate in the polls. "I'm telling you (media) it publicly. What country are we living in? We're now living in a medieval barbarian age as there is no wrongdoing that the present government is not doing to cling to power."