The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party alleged on Sunday that the ruling Awami League was planning to steal votes in 2024 election, like the elections of 2014 and 2018.
‘They [AL] made the Election Commission as per their desire to implant this plan of rigging. They designed all the administrations, including police, civil administration, and judiciary, to make the plan effective,’ BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said while addressing a rally at Lalon Shah Mukta Mancha area in Rajshahi.
The rally was organised following a youth road march that started in Bogura, over 100 kilometres away.
Three front organisations of the BNP—Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, Swechchasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal—arranged the youth road march, demanding the resignation of the government and handing over power to a party-neutral caretaker government.
‘The Awami League has stolen people’s right to vote. They stole votes in 2014, and they stole votes in 2018. They are planning to steal votes in the 2024 election as well. But the people will not let them steal their votes this time,’ he said.
The BNP leader said that all the political parties were now united to oust the Awami League, while democratic countries were also now vocal over Bangladesh’s election.
‘The whole world now believes that there were no elections in Bangladesh in 2014 and 2018. They want free and fair elections here,’ he said.
Claiming that AL has failed to run the state, Fakhrul said that the prices of rice, lentil, oil, salt and everything had skyrocketed.
The Awami League pledged to provide per kg rice at Tk 10, but the price is now Tk 70 to Tk 80, he said, adding that mothers cannot serve eggs on the plates of their children. Prices of fuel oil and electricity have been increased in three to four phases. But the government doesn’t pay any heed to it.
He further alleged that AL leaders had made the country a basket case by siphoning money and buying properties abroad.
Fakhrul said that to continue the misrule, the government was now convicting BNP leaders and activists.
‘We will not return home without ensuring the fall of the AL. Accept our demands immediately; otherwise, the people of the country are aware of how to oust an autocratic and fascist ruler from power,’ Fakhrul said.
Addressing the rally as a special guest, BNP’s standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that those who are vote thieves should be identified. ‘AL and its associates in the administration and even in the judiciary are among the vote thieves, and none of them would be spared.’
It is necessary to prepare lists of vote thieves in every district, he added.
Leaders and activists from Natore, Sirajganj, Noagaon, and Jaipurhat joined the road march.
Thousands of leaders and activists of the party started the youth road march from Erulia Bazar in Bogura town at 11:30am on motorcycles, private cars, microbuses, and trucks.
On their way to Rajshahi from Bogura, they held short street rallies at Adamdighi, Santahar, Naogaon Sadar, and Manda.
Meanwhile, a group of Awami League men, led by leader Rashidul Islam Koel, allegedly attacked BNP activists and set their microbus on fire on the Bogura-Natore highway in front of Dighapatia Textile Mill in Natore Sadar upazila while they were going to Bogura to take part in the youth road march.
