Shawdesh Desk: “The government has become desperate and dreadful to hold another unilateral general election like that of the past. The government is eagerly waiting for an election for putting seals on 43 ballot papers in 57 seconds. Different occupying forces have swooped on people from different directions,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

He was addressing a virtual press conference on Saturday (November 11) evening.

Rizvi alleged that common people in Bangladesh are now living in an environment which can be compared with silent panic during the war. The fundamental things of democracy like freedom of expression are going to disappear from the country forever. The prime minister has become panic-stricken of losing power witnessing the unprecedented participation of people in the movements and struggles for restoring their constitutional voting rights. At her directive, the entire country has been thrown into a very suffocating situation. People are living in a dreadful situation like that of the liberation war of 1971. Police officials at high levels have now become the employees of Awami League Limited Company.

The BNP spokesman observed that some officials and employees of the law enforcing agencies have now appeared at the role of Pakistani occupation army, while Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League leaders and workers have appeared at the role of Rajakars. During the 1971, the Rajakars used to show the Pakistani occupation forces the houses of valiant freedom fighters. They extended cooperation to their lootings and killings. Now the leaders and workers of Awami League-Jubo League and Chhatra League show the RAB and Awami Police League members the hosues of democracy loving people. After beating them, they also handover them to police. The government has resorted to unprecedented repression and tirture on opposition activists. In order to avoid arrest, the BNP leaders and workers take shelters in rivers, under trees, jugles and bushes.

The BNP senior joint secretary general alleged that arrest has reached to such an extent that a Chhatra Dal leader was arrested while availing trteatment at Nandail in Mymensingh. The DB police arrested Jatiya Dal chairman Ehsanul Huda when he went to a attend a scheduled propgramme in Dhaka. Burichang upazila Swecchasebak Dal leader Zakir found dead after police picked him up chasing him. Wife died being panic stricken when police went to arrest a BNP leader-cum-lawyer in Faridpur.

Rizvi further said a total of 315 leaders and workers of BNP and its front organisations  were arrested during the last 24 hours in the country. As many as 12 cases were filed implicating 1,370 BNP leaders and workers as accused.