BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir claimed that the attack on BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s motorcade on Saturday was planned by the Awami League (AL). The BNP leader was speaking to reporters at Chittagong Circuit House yesterday. “No one is safe in the hands of the AL. The attack on Khaleda Zia’s motorcade while we were going to Rangamati is the handiwork of ruling party men,” he said. “AL and Juba League activists have carried out the attack on journalists and BNP activists. It was pre-planned,” he alleged. He said the attack on the BNP’s peaceful programme proves the absence of democracy in the country. Citizens are being denied of their basic rights. No citizen has the right to freedom of expression today, he added.

Everyone, including the media and the judiciary, has fallen victims under the AL regime. Many activists, including journalists, were injured on Saturday. The condition of one Jubo Dal activist is critical, he added. Khaleda Zia’s motorcade heading to the Rohingya

camps came under attack at Feni on Saturday. Many vehicles, including those of print and electronic media, were vandalised. Armed with sticks, some youths attacked the motorcade and many, including journalists, were injured.

Fakhrul said the government would have to bear the responsibility of the incident. The people who carried out the attack were the AL cadres and their pictures were also published in newspapers, he claimed. “AL men launched the attack on the motorcade while we were going to help landslide victims in Rangamati,” he added.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia left Chittagong Circuit House for Cox’s Bazar at 12:10pm yesterday. A huge number of party leaders and activists and its associates assembled at the Circuit House.