BNP leader AZM Zahid Hossain has warned that conspiracies are afoot to undermine the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh.
Speaking at a rally in front of the National Press Club on Friday, the BNP Standing Committee member said: “There are among us, lurking in the shadows, those who want to destroy democracy. It is our responsibility to expose them," reports bdnews24.com.
Referring to the grisly murder of a scrap trader near Mitford Hospital, where some of the suspects were reportedly linked to the party, Zahid said the BNP and its affiliated organisations had taken swift action against them and demanded exemplary punishment.
“Yet, various tags are still being attached to our leader
Tarique Rahman. Do you not stop for a moment to think about what you’re doing? Why are you trying to play with fire? Why are you trying to destroy the political culture of this country by becoming someone else’s pawn?"
"Everyone must remain alert. Everyone must be patient. We must not fall into the trap of provocation set by these conspirators.”
Addressing rival political groups, he challenged them to participate in the democratic field instead of resorting to vague statements.
"The BNP and its allies have announced joint programmes. Do you have a programme? If so, present it. We hear talk of proportional representation (PR) and calls for local government elections.”
“Let me remind you that the fight for democracy is about national elections, not local ones. And the PR system hasn’t been practised in Bangladesh in 54 years, or even 154 years. Why stir up discord with such talk now? It seems you are trying to delay the return of democracy for your own gain.”
Zahid warned that the public would not remain powerless forever.
“If you try to keep the people powerless for too long, they will rise up. And when they do, you’ll be burnt by the very fire you lit,” he said.
“I urge everyone to stay united and patient. Just as we stood against authoritarianism before, we will do so again. The fight to restore democracy will continue, and the election will take place in February. The conspirators will not succeed.”
`WHY ONLY GOPALGANJ?`
Addressing the recent unrest in Gopalganj surrounding the National Citizen Party’s rally, Zahid blamed both the government and law enforcement for failing to maintain order.
“Remember the bomb attack in Kotalipara? That happened while the
prime minister was there, and with all the security in place. How could a bomb go off? Where was the intelligence apparatus then? If it wasn’t a conspiracy, such an event couldn’t have happened.”“Just the day before, a similar event in Faridpur went smoothly. Nothing happened. Gopalganj, Faridpur, Rajbari -- they’re all nearby. You went to Narail, nothing happened there. You’ve toured the whole country and faced no trouble, so why only in Gopalganj?”
“Yes, it’s fair to blame the accomplices of authoritarianism. But we must also expose those among us who are working to subvert democracy from within.”
