Power rests with people, not political parties: Rizvi

Power rests with the people, not with political parties, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told the government today (4 May).

"Why should political parties try to overthrow the government? Because the people want this," Rizvi made the remarks at a human chain in front of the capital's Jatiya Press Club this morning

Habibur Rashid Habib Mukti Parishad organised the human chain programme, demanding the withdrawal of cases of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, and the release of BNP's Dhaka South city unit Joint Convener Habibur Rashid Habib.

BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas, said the country is now under the grip of an autocratic rule and the downfall of this regime is inevitable in the face of public outrage, sooner or later.

"This is not an elected government. So, it is not the BNP's responsibility to overthrow this regime. When the people decide, they will oust this government and no one will be able to resist it," he observed.

Describing the upcoming Upazila Parishad (UP) elections as the "government's trap", BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas said their party did not fall prey to it by boycotting the polls.

"The current government has set another trap entwined with the upcoming upazila Parishad elections. They laid a trap earlier during the national election, but BNP boycotted that poll as well," he said.