AL will not be able to rig votes anymore: BNP
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – defying the road and water transport strikes and various other obstacles – kicked off the party's day-long divisional protest rally in Barishal Saturday morning
BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said that Awami League will not be able to rig votes from now on.
"The biggest theft of all thefts is vote theft. Now that theft is not possible," he said while addressing the BNP divisional rally in Barishal Saturday (5 November).
He claimed that Awami League could not stop the mass gathering even by shutting down everything.
"Today it is not a rally in Barisal, we can call it revolution. Awami League will fall in the revolution."
"We want to take back Tarique Zia in the country. We believe he will come to the country like a king for the freedom of the common people of the country."
He also noted that the BNP does not need any vehicles for making rally successful and BNP men can come without vehicles to the venue.
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"People don't have the food for two meals a day. The people have no right to vote. The country is passing a very critical time for the ill administration of Awami League," said the BNP leader.
Amir Khasru further said Sheikh Hasina assumed power with votes at night.
The government has abused police, Rab and government officials for keeping their power permanently, he added.
"The government has no gas no electricity, no fuel while dollar crisis makes the lives intolerable for the common people."
BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas said the whole country has risen today.
"All television has been instructed not to telecast the meeting. Our all leaders are arrested rapidly centring the ongoing meeting.
BNP Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moin Khan said that there is no human rights in the country under the current government.
"There are no women and children rights in this country, there is no money in the country's banks. This country has no honor abroad, America gives sanctions on Bangladesh, there is no freedom of press, no freedom of speech in this country," he added.
Addressing Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, BNP Joint Secretary Habibun Nabi Sohail said, "It's time for Sheikh Hasina to go to jail, get ready. Look at this great assembly, people have come on foot."
He further said, "Five leaders of BNP were gunned down in Bhola at a recent procession flowing the instructions of present Prime minister Sheikh Hasina. We want the resignation of the present government."
Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, BNP joint secretary general, said at any cost BNP will force the government to resign.
"The government failed to lead the country as all the daily necessary commodities are now out of reach. The government has Illegally transferred huge money from the country," he added.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – defying the road and water transport strikes and various other obstacles – kicked off the party's day-long divisional protest rally in Barishal Saturday (5 November) morning.
Leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies, tens of thousands in number, have come together to make the rally successful.
The party has erected a 50ft long stage at the Bangabandhu Udyan. The rally venue and adjacent areas, within a 3km radius, are now jam-packed with party BNP supporters.
Over 100 loudspeakers have been installed in and around the podium to achieve maximum coverage.
In a symbolic manner, they have also kept a seat empty on the stage for BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia -- who is on interim release after being convicted in two corruption cases.
BNP started the programme at around 12am with local leaders delivering speeches in short intervals.
"I and my fellows started our journey at 12am today from Bakherganj, Barishal, on a trawler and reached the rally venue at 5:30am," said Alamin Hossain, a union-level BNP leader of Niamati.
Mahamudul Hasan, a BNP leader from Nalchity upazila, said, "After completing our Fajr prayers, I along with other BNP supporters started for the rally venue from our district's Nalchity on foot and reached around 9am.
"We found the journey to be very difficult as there was no transportation available on the streets."
Party leaders expect several lakh participants in the mass gathering to be held in a few hours in the city's Bangabandhu Udyan, also known as Bell's Park, like the previous ones in Mymensingh, Khulna and Rangpur.
Commuters have been suffering a lot as the district has been practically cut off from other parts of the country.
Owners of virtually all modes of public transport have gone on strike in the past few days forcing people to move by rickshaws or on foot.
BNP men claimed they had to defy many obstacles, including hindrances from ruling Awami League men and its associate bodies and a shortage of vehicles, on their way to the rally.
Though buses, trawlers and other major modes of communication remained halted between Barishal and the rest of the country, BNP activists from the nearby districts were seen coming by boats, trawlers, motorcycles and some even on foot.
A number of them even took water and dry foods, including puffed and flattened rice, with them in fear that the hotels and restaurants might remain closed on the rally day.
Many had spent the night at the venue after failing to manage accommodation. They were seen using polythene sheets as makeshift beds. Some even came prepared with blankets and winter clothes.
"Though we could not sleep properly, there is no feeling of pain or suffering in us as we have come here to protest," said Jakaria Sumon, the president of Rajapur upazila unit Jubo Dal.
The official reason behind the suspension of bus, three-wheeler, launch and speedboat movement could not be known yet.
As part of its move to continue the pace of its ongoing movement, BNP on 27 September announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional cities.
The organisers said the rally is meant to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuel, the death of five party men in previous police action in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, and Jashore, and to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
BNP has long been demanding that the next general election be held under a caretaker government, not under any political government -- a demand sharply rejected by the ruling Awami League.
Saturday's rally will be the fifth by the BNP at the divisional level. The first one was held in Chattogram, the second one in Mymensingh and the third and fourth in Khulna and Rangpur, respectively.
