Govt playing tricks in allowing BNP rally to mark Victory Day: Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday alleged that the police are dillydallying to give permission to his party in organising  a ‘Victory Day’ rally.

Speaking at a virtual briefing, he also alleged that the police created obstacles to the BNP in paying homage to martyred intellectuals.

"They (police) are playing the role like the invading forces in 1970 by resorting to tricks to give the BNP permission for the victory rally to mark the Great Victory Day," the BNP leader said.

The BNP has already sent a letter to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner seeking permission to hold a rally in the capital on December 16  to celebrate the Victory Day.

A BNP delegation, led by party vice-chairman Netai Roy Chowdhury, went to the DMP office at Bailey Road on Wednesday and submitted the letter.

Rizvi also alleged that the police have kept BNP’s the Nayapaltan the central office sieged for more than one and a half months. “Our leaders can’t go to Nayapaltan.”

He claimed that the police raided the BNP Chairperson‍‍`s office in Gulshan on Wednesday night and searched every room without any permission.

The BNP leader also said the police took away a wreath and other things kept at the office to pay homage to martyred intellectuals.

He said the law enforcers also threatened to arrest if anyone comes to the office to go to pay homage to the martyred intellectuals. “But they (govt) say they believe in the spirit of the Liberation War."

Under the leadership of the OC of Gulshan police station, Rizvi said a team of police entered the BNP chairperson‍‍`s office and brought out the wreath and tore it publicly. “Which country are we living in? We feel like slaves, we feel like subjects. The Awami League has its Prime Minister as Empress, and they can arrest whoever they want and file cases against them and keep them in jail.”

He said the government is going to hold a bizarre election with its own and dummy candidates with the help of its puppet state machinery.

He called upon the country’s voters to boycott the lopsided election and resist it from happening.