BNP on Saturday alleged that the government has been selectively killing its leaders and workers by attacking the party’s peaceful programmes.
“The government has let loose law enforcers to selectively kill BNP leaders and workers following enforced disappearances, murders and extrajudicial killings. BNP's leaders and workers are being shot dead in peaceful programmes,” said BNP acting office secretary Sayed Emran Saleh Prince.
He came up with the allegation at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
The BNP leader said 15 leaders and activists had been killed earlier in BNP's programmes across the country to protest against the increase in prices of essential commodities, including oil and gas.
He alleged that their party’s peaceful mass procession programmes in some districts and cities were attacked by police on Saturday, most notably in Panchagarh
Prince said the law enforcers gunned down Abdur Rashid Arefin, the joint convener of BNP’s Maina Dighi union unit under Boda Upazila in Panchagarh.
He said police opened fire at BNP’s procession in Panchagarh at the behest of the local OC, shot Arefin dead and injured over 50 others by charging batons.
The BNP leader claimed that Panchagarh district unit general secretary Nuruzzaman Babu was in critical condition after receiving bullet wounds.
He alleged that police are not handing over the body of slain Arefin to his family, or other BNP leaders.
The BNP leader said people assumed from Friday’s comments of Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader that there would be armed attacks on the peaceful programmes of BNP. “People's assumption proved true. Attacks, killings and torture in Panchagarh and other places are pre-planned.”
He said Abdur Rashid Arefin of Panchagarh was killed as part of the government's blueprint to eliminate the opposition in the country. “The government is fully responsible for this killing.”
The BNP leader said many leaders and workers of their party were injured in police action in different districts and cities.
Besides, he alleged that at least 60 leaders and activists of their party were arrested during the mass processions in different districts.
