Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday alleged that different government agencies are now active to divide the opposition political parties and professional bodies in an effort to ‘hang onto’ power.
‘There’re divisions everywhere, even in our journalist community, political parties and professional bodies. Government agencies are now very active to harm the unity of those who want democracy in various ways,’ he said.
The BNP leader made the remarks while speaking at the annual general meeting of a faction of the Dhaka Union of Journalists at the Jatiya Press Club.
He urged those who are fighting for democracy to remain aware of the government’s effort to create discord among them. ‘There’s no reason to have divisions among us. A national unity, the unity of people and political parties is necessary if we want to remove the current fascist regime. At the same time, the unity among those organisations believe in democracy is also needed.’
Stating that people do not want a one-party despotic rule, he urged the opposition political forces to get united for establishing an elected government and restoring multiparty democracy by ousting the ‘fascist’ Awami League government.
He said a plot for depoliticisation in the country began with a minus-two formula during the 1/11 political change over in 2007. ‘Though the situation changed at that time due to Khaleda Zia’s tough stance, we didn’t get rid of that conspiracy. The national elections in 2008 and later were held with the same goal.’
He said politicians now do not run the country as a politician, Sheikh Hasina, is being used to carry out all anti-people and anti-democratic activities by destroying all the state institutions in a planned way.
Fakhrul alleged Awami League has completely destroyed the country’s electoral system by taking advantage of a verdict delivered by former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque annulling the caretaker government system in 2012.
He said the Election Commission has now become a subservient institution. ‘We’re now hearing about the formation of a new election commission in February next. Our 52 intellectuals talked about enacting a law for this. But who’ll formulate the law? There’s no one in parliament but Awami League. Those who’ve destroyed democracy and snatched people’s rights will make this law. So, those who want a law for the Election Commission need to think of it.’
The BNP leader accused the government of making various laws to control the media and suppress the truth. ‘You’ve seen the Digital Security Act. They’re now going to formulate a new law which they call the Personal Data Protection Act. It’s another tactic to regulate the social media and repress the dissidents.’
Referring to the information minister’s remark that 210 newspapers have been shut, he said it is a sign of Baksal (one-party rule). ‘The planning minister has also said Bakshal was a good system.’
The BNP secretary general said fascism and democracy and free media can never go together. ‘Fascism means snatching the rights of people by spreading fear and establishing a reign of terror and staying power at gunpoint resorting to enforced disappearances, killing and torture. This is the strategy that Awami League has now chosen.’
