A group of eminent citizens in a joint statement on Sunday condemned the authoritarianism of the government in the opposition camp.
A total of 24 signatories comprised of human rights activists, academicians, researchers, journalists and advocates blamed the ruling Awami League for violation of the constitutional rights of the citizens.
They referred to the government willful obstruction to the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s mass rally on December 10 in Dhaka.
According to the statement, the BNP has been demanding a fair election for the last few months; despite repression from the government, the party’s Dhaka divisional mass rally was peaceful.
The statement protested at the government harassment of the BNP activists, wholesale cases and arrests including the party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and attacks on the party activists in front of its party office at Nayapaltan on December 7 that left one dead and injured many.
They said that such authoritarian action of the government was clearly an assault on the freedom of speech and violation of the citizens’ constitutional rights to hold rally.
They also condemned the police monitoring on political activities of the opposition parties and dissidents, and the checks on citizen’s bodies, cellphones and other activities on roads that are contrary to democracy and human rights.
Terming holding rallies and meetings as fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution, they urged the government to abstain from such activities.
They also demanded immediate release of the BNP leaders and activists arrested without evidence.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury, former advisor to the caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan, educationist Anu Muhammad, constitution expert Shahdeen Malik and human rights activist Hameeda Hossain, among others, signed the statement.
