Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), serving as the main opposition, voiced stern criticism against the Awami League government on Friday.
Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged that the current administration, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is devoid of popular support, compelling it to suppress opposition voices through autocratic means.
During a sit-in at the National Press Club organized by Zia Projanmo Dal, demanding the release of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and other detained leaders, Rizvi articulated his concerns.
“The PM fears the BNP, recognizing her lack of popular backing.
Top BNP leaders including the secretary general, standing committee members, vice-chairman, and joint secretary general have endured months of imprisonment before their recent release,” Rizvi explained.
Rizvi condemned the continued strategy of the Awami League to incarcerate BNP leaders and activists, asserting that this policy is far from over.
He described the dire conditions under which many party leaders are kept, deprived of natural light and fresh air, indicating a systematic approach to weaken the opposition.
“The jails have effectively become a permanent abode for numerous BNP members, held without just cause,” Rizvi added.
He emphasized that a government’s lack of public support typically leads to autocratic behavior, manifesting in the suppression of dissenting voices through various harsh measures, including imprisonment, torture, and even extrajudicial killings.
“The government has used every tool at its disposal to silence the opposition,” he stated, referencing the alleged imprisonment of 25,000 to 26,000 BNP leaders and activists in the run-up to what he termed a “dummy election” on January 7.
Rizvi challenged the government to provide a credible rationale for the widespread detention of BNP members, many of whom remain incarcerated, while a few have been released after months of confinement.
