Opposition’s huge presence on streets amid crackdowns puzzles govt: Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday alleged that the ruling party leaders are making unguarded remarks as they have become scared by the huge presence of opposition followers on the streets amid widespread arrests and crackdowns.

Speaking at a demonstration in the city’s Khilgaon area, he also said the success of their ongoing one-point movement is certain with the support of people.

“Our leaders and activists are peacefully observing the blockade programme. The government has become puzzled seeing the presence of people in BNP’s blockade programme even after intense suppression. So, the prime minister, ministers and (AL) leaders making reckless remarks,” he said.
Amid the blockade programme, Rizvi along with some BNP leaders and activists brought out a sudden procession around 7:30am near Pallima Sangsad in the capital‍‍`s Khilgoan area.

They staged a demonstration there for a while in support of the blockade programme and then hurriedly left the spot.

Rizvi warned that the government will not be able to stop the opposition’s democratic movement by resorting to repression and wholesale arrest of BNP leaders and workers.

“It won’t be possible to weaken the morale of our leaders and workers by arresting and torturing them and taking them on remand. The more the level of torture is increasing, the more our leaders and activists are taking to the streets strongly,” he said.

He condemned the arrest of BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu from the capital’s Cantonment area in the early hours of Monday.

“They (govt) are arresting our senior leaders, including Shamsuzzaman Dudu, getting sacred by our announced programmes of the movement. They have initiated a storm of arrests across the country," the BNP leader said.

He said BNP leaders and activists are united under the leadership of party senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman. “The victory of our movement is for sure. The movement for restoring our rights will be successful as the fall of the government is imminent.”

Meanwhile, BNP’s Nayapaltan central office remained locked as before with the deployment of a huge number of law enforcers in the area.