Stop gunning down opposition activists, Fakhrul asks police

BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday asked the law enforcers to stop illegally gunning down opposition leaders and activists, and warned that they will have to be accountable to people someday for their every action.

"Our Chhatra Dal leader Nayan embraced martyrdom in police firing in Brahmanbaria's Bancharampur…we condemn this killing, and we take a vow to avenge his murder," he said.

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader also said six leaders and activists of their party and its associate bodies have so far been killed in the party's ongoing movement as they took to the streets to press for their demands.

"From this discussion meeting, I would like to ask police and the law enforcement agencies not to continue such killing unfairly, illegally and violating the constitution. Because, you have to be accountable to people for your every action," he warned.

Ziaur Rahman Foundation arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the 58th birthday of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

Tarique, exiled in London for 'treatment' since 2008, was born on 20 November, 1965. BNP and its different associate bodies marked the day amid various programmes, including discussions and doa mahfil.

Earlier on Saturday, Nayan Miah, 22, vice president of Bancharampur's Sonarampur union parishad unit JCD, was shot by police during a clash with supports of the party, leaving him critically injured.

He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where physicians pronounced him dead on arrival around 7:30pm.

Fakhrul alleged that police shot Nayan without any reason and provocation when they were distributing leaflets at a local bazar to drum up support for BNP's divisional rally scheduled to be held in Cumilla town on next Saturday.

He said a serious adverse situation has been prevailing in the country where people cannot express their opinions. "All the rights of the people, including the right to vote, have been snatched by the government. We're carrying out a movement and sacrificing lives on the streets for restoring the lost rights."

The BNP leader said they have been on a very tough struggle since a "fascist" regime is their opponent, which hardly cares about democracy and human rights. "Their only goal is to stay in power by any means."

"The government has lost ground beneath its feet and it has become a public enemy since it has got isolated from people…They speak in such a language that it is a kingdom or a monarch. But Bangladesh is the People's Republic which was established through a bloody war."

Fakhrul said every citizen of the country is the owner of the state but the ruling party has snatched it. "There're two things in their (AL's) body chemistry. "One is terrorism as they want to grab everything by indulging in killing, intimidation and the other is plundering as they want to steal everything."

Fakhrul slammed the government for filing a case against writer and online activist Pinaki Bhattacharya and journalist Mushfiqul Fazal Ansari, who was a deputy press secretary of the former prime minister Khaleda Zia, under the Digital Security Act.

He said people have got united under the leadership of their party acting chairman Tarique Rahman, who is leading their party from the UK, to get back independence afresh, democracy and all rights through a fierce movement.