Stop 7 January election: Rizvi calls on people

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has called on the people to stop the 7 January election. 

"The 7 January election must be stopped. It is a one-sided, illegal, deceptive, and fraudulent election that betrays the people and the voters," he said after distributing leaflets as part of BNP's non-cooperation movement today (30 December).

This morning, Rizvi distributed leaflets among local shopkeepers and the general public at the corners of Uttara's Sectors 12 and 13. 

"BNP is not an extremist organisation, Awami League (AL) is," he said while accusing AL and government intelligence agencies of arson "to divert the BNP's movement".

"An AL man died while making bombs and instances where Jubo League and Chhatra League men were caught red-handed with petrol bombs, with the blame being falsely placed on the BNP. In 2013, 2014, and 2015, they [AL] set fire to buses, burning people alive and then falsely implicating BNP leaders and workers, fabricating cases against them. Now the court is being ordered to hand down mass convictions," Rizvi claimed. 

"The prime minister wants to eliminate the opposition to cling to power permanently, but the people will not allow it," he said while demanding an immediate halt to the election and organising elections through a neutral, non-partisan government.

Present during the leaflet distribution were BNP's Health Secretary Dr Rafiqul Islam, Deputy Economic Affairs Secretary Mahmudur Rahman Sumon, Dhaka Metropolitan North's Joint Convenor Haji Md Mostafa Zaman, Aman Ullah Aman, Harunur Rashid Khoka, Abdus Salam, Haji Zahirul Islam, Chan Mia, Biplob, Soleman, Ripon Hasan, Moti Mia, Iskandar, Sohel Rana, Ratul, Amirul, and others.

Also present were the BNP's central student wing's Joint General Secretary Dr Tauhidur Rahman Aual, Deputy General Secretary Azizul Haq Ziyon, Publicity Department Secretary Hasan, and other student wing leaders including Dr Muntasir and Ashraful Asad.