The BNP sees a pattern of deep conspiracy in the ruling party's attitude ahead of the next polls, scheduled to be in December this year. It observes a similarity in the delay in granting Khaleda Zia bail in the Zia Orphanage graft case and unleashing of repression on activists to prevent them from bringing out peaceful rallies. The party suspects all these to be part of a clever ploy of the Awami League (AL) to ensure a lopsided election in the ruling party's favour.

Talking to The Independent, BNP leaders have asserted that the party rank and file is prepared to face the situation. The government would not be able to eliminate the BNP and frustrate its movement to free its chairperson. The demand for a neutral administration to conduct the next polls is still on, they have claimed.

“The AL is trying to close down democratic space. It wants to cling on to power by curbing democratic rights,” said BNP standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Terming the prevailing situation as a problem created by the AL, the BNP leader said the government has used up all its evil cards. “The AL has played its last card by sending Khaleda Zia in jail. It can't do anything more,” he added. The former minister claimed that  BNP leaders and activists have become rejuvenated further with the repression launched by the government. He said the ruling party has chosen to carry out repression on BNP activists to hide its own fragility. An autocratic government usually resorts to such ways when it becomes weakened from within, he added.

The BNP leader said they would go continue to uphold the democratic values and bring out peaceful programmes in the days ahead.

The party's vice-chairman Maj. (Retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed said the "cruelty of the government" is likely to increase further. BNP leaders and activists are ready to face repression and oppression to free their party chairperson and restore the democracy in the country, he added.  

The former minister accused the government of undermining the country's democracy and the justice system. He also termed the "repressive measures initiated by the ruling party" as part of a greater conspiracy against the BNP chairperson.

Advocate Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, an organising secretary of the BNP, said if the government is living in a fool’s paradise if it tries to eliminate the BNP through repression. “If the government continues to unleash repression on BNP leaders and activists, the people will stand by us," he added.

The former state minister said they thought that the AL would realise their mistake of putting Khaleda Zia in jail and release her immediately. “But good sense isn't prevailing in the government. Khaleda Zia will become an international leader if the government takes more time to release her,” he added.

He said the ongoing non-violent movement will turn into a vigorous programme for the release of the former premier. BNP sources claimed that law enforcers have already arrested several thousand party leaders and activists, including BNP standing committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Shamsuzzamn Dudu and Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, before and after the verdict in Khaleda’s case.

The BNP has been carrying out a series of mass contact programmes including holding demonstrations, human chains, hunger strikes, black flag shows and view- exchange programmes.