The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) yesterday called upon the people to be united and build a strong resistance to all “anti-democratic” and “anti-state” moves of the government. “We urge all people from all strata of society to stand up and raise their voices and resist the misdeeds of the government,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Speaking at a sit-in in the city to protest against the gas price hike, he said he saw no reason behind the hike and demanded that the government cancel the decision.
“Nothing has happened in the country which could need a gas price hike. Gas prices cannot be hiked just like that. In fact, they should be brought down. This is the people’s demand,” he added.
As part of the countrywide programme, the city BNP arranged the two-hour sit-in that began at 10am on the premises of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, to protest against the hike in gas prices.
Alamgir termed the government’s decision to hike the gas prices as “anti-people” and “illogical”, adding that the government was taking such decisions as it was “not accountable to the people”.
“This government is not for the people. It is signing many agreements and submitting to the demands of the other party. These are going against the interests of the people,” he said.
Regarding the next polls, he said people would not
accept any election without the BNP and its chairperson Khaleda Zia, and that they would resist it.
“Through a peaceful movement, we will force the government to hold an acceptable election under a neutral and non-partisan government,” he added.
Several thousand leaders and activists, bearing festoons and placards with slogans against the gas price hike, joined the programme that ended at noon.
BNP standing committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Goyeshwar Chandra Ray, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, vice-chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, among others, also spoke on the occasion.
Rizvi pointed out that despite police obstruction in some places, including Rajshahi, their programme was observed peacefully across the country.
The BNP-led 20-Party Alliance yesterday extended all support to the BNP’s mayoral candidate Monirul Haque Sakku in the upcoming Comilla City Corporation election.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the 20 parties’ secretaries general at the party central office, with BNP secretary general Alamgir in the chair.
Liberal Democratic Party secretary general Redwan Ahmed was given the responsibility to coordinate the election campaign on behalf of the 20-Party Alliance.
They protested against the gas price hike, termed it “anti-people”, and demanded that the decision be cancelled. Abdul Motin Saud of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Mostafa Jamal Haider of the Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar), Abdul Karim of Islami Oikya Jote, Sheikh Julfiker Bulbul Chowdhury of Bangladesh Muslim League, Muhammed Shafiquddin of Khelafat Majlish, Khandaker Lutfor Rahman of Jagpa, MM Aminur Rahman of Kallyan Party, and Mostafizur Rahman Mosta of National Peoples Party, Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan of Bangladesh NAP, among others, were present at the meeting.