BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday warned the administration that the outcome will not be good if the people are made the opponents.
Speaking at a rally he also asked law enforcers not to violate human rights by shooting at peaceful programmes of the opposition parties if they want to avoid harsher measures such as sanctions by the international community.
"We would like to tell the administration very clearly, don’t make people your opponents. You have come from people and your salaries are given from the people's tax money on which you run your families. So respect people. Do not obstruct the peaceful programmes,” Fakhrul said.
He urged the members of the police and other law enforcement agencies not to open fire on opposition leaders and activists without any justification only to obey the illegal order of the government. “Sanctions have been imposed on RAB. Similarly, sanctions can be imposed on any force if it violates the law and violates human rights."
As part of BNP’s plan to hold 16 rallies in the capital in the current month, Uttara east zone of its Dhaka north city unit arranged the programme on Uttara's Powell Convention Road in protest against the increase in prices of essentials, fuel and transport fares and killing of three opposition leaders in police firing.
Fakhrul bemoaned that there are no human rights in the country while people are shot and killed on trivial matters and picked up by law enforcers in plainclothes.
Stating that their party has been on a peaceful movement for lowering the prices of daily necessities, fuel and fertilizer, he said law enforcers killed their leaders Noor-e-Alam and Abdur Rahim in Bhola and Shaon Prodhan in Narayanganj by attacking their programmes.
“The people of the country are roaring. Noor-e-Alam did not hesitate to sacrifice his life. I would like to declare today that none of us will hesitate to sacrifice our lives (for the restoration of democracy). Our victory is certain this time,” the BNP leader observed.
He said their party wants to bring back democracy and restore peace and people’s lost rights in the country by ousting the Awami League government which has been indulging in widespread corruption in the name of mega projects.
Accusing the government of turning Bangladesh into a failed state, Fakhrul said the Sheikh Hasina-led regime must dissolve parliament and hand over power to a neutral caretaker government.
“No election can be held under the current Election Commission. We want an acceptable and inclusive election by forming a new election commission. A people's government and parliament must be established in the country and that is our only aim," he observed.
Fakhrul claimed that their party chairperson Khaleda Zia has been subjected to 'injustice' by unlawfully sentencing her in two cases.
“Our leader Begum Khaleda Zia is very ill. All the doctors are suggesting sending her abroad for better treatment. But they (govt) don't want to let her get treatment abroad as they fear her,” he said.
The BNP leader also alleged that the government has been harassing and repressing the opposition leaders and activists across the country by implicating them in ‘false’ and ‘fictitious’ cases.
