M Abbas warns pol parties against joining polls under AL govt

BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas addressing a rally on Thursday.

Dhaka, May 12 – Issuing a warning to opposition parties, BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Thursday said those who will participate in the next national election under the current Awami League government will be considered as national traitors.

Speaking at a rally in the city, he also said their party will come up with a befitting reply if BNP leaders and activists are attacked by the ruling party men.

“Those who will join the election under the current regime will be considered as national traitors,” Abbas said.

He recalled that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as an opposition leader in 1986, said in Laldighi Maidan that those who would participate in the election under then military ruler HM Ershad would be the national traitors.

But, Abbas said Hasina herself joined that election despite her warning to others. “We’ll take action against both the government and those who will try to prove themselves as national traitors this time.”

BNP Dhaka south and north city units arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting what the party said continuous attacks on opposition leaders by ruling party ‘cadres’ in different parts of the country including Cumilla.

Referring to different media reports on joining polls by opposition parties sharing seats with the ruling party, Abbas said they will not allow holding any such election.

“No election of seat-sharing will be held. No stage-managed election will be allowed in Bangladesh. Keep it in mind,” he warned.

The BNP leader strongly condemned and protested the recent attacks on the local residence of their party’s senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and on some other party leaders and LDP leader Redwan Ahmed.

“We would like to clearly say that if we’re again subjected to any attack and repression, we’ll put resistance together. No one will be spared,” he said.

He said the ruling party leaders and activists were beaten by people as they attacked Mosharraf’s house and Redwan’s vehicle in Cumilla. “It means resistance has begun and now we’ve to come up with retaliation. We’ll ensure the fall of the Awami League government through such resistance and retaliation.”

Stating that holding rallies, meetings, and processions are the fundamental rights of political parties, Abbas said their party has long been deprived of that right in the name of the permission. “We’ll no longer seek permission for arranging such programmes,” he said.

He said the ruling party leaders now even do not obey the instructions of their topmost leader and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

 “The so-called Prime Minister announced a few days back that there would be no obstruction to political activities. The very next day, the house of our respected leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain was attacked. After that, Redwan Ahmed's car was attacked. Similar arracks were made in 10/12 places in Bangladesh. How did such incidents happen after the Prime Minister’s instruction?” Abbas said.

About Sri Lanka’s crisis, the BNP leader said the South Asian country is facing the problem due to widespread plundering and theft.

“Sri Lanka had become a private limited company as the country used to take loans to carry out mega projects. But their leaders siphoned off that money of mega projects abroad.  That's why their economy collapsed,” he observed.

Abbas said the Bangladesh government is not stopping the mega projects taking a lesson from Sri Lanka. “It’s taken up 12 mega projects.  Experts have already started talking against all these mega projects and they have warned that Bangladesh can face the same situation like Sri Lanka if all these projects are done.”

He slammed the government for what he said increasing the price of edible oil in the interests of businessmen. “Generally, we know that the government fixes prices of goods and other things for the benefit of the people. But this government has raised the price of (soybean) oil in the interest of businessmen.” - UNB