Movement to continue until govt falls: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said their ongoing movement will not stop until the fall of the current government.

"A warm-up for a movement has begun across the country. This movement won't stop until our chairperson Khaleda Zia is freed and the fall of the current monstrous regime is ensured," he said.

Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader also said democracy and people's voting rights will not be restored in the country as long as Awami League stays in power.

"Let's take a vow from this rally that we won't return home from the streets until we can remove this regime from power and free our leader Khaleda Zia and send her abroad for treatment. Our movement will go on," he said.

Thakurgaon district unit BNP arranged the rally on public library premises of the district town, demanding Khaleda's treatment abroad.

Recalling Khaleda's role in different movements for the restoration of democracy and developing the country, Fakhrul said that she is fighting for her life due to a lack of advanced treatment.

"We urged the government to allow her to go abroad for treatment, but it's not paying heed to our call," he deplored.

The BNP leader said they have been carrying out a movement across the country for a month demanding Khaleda's treatment abroad. "Movement doesn't mean hartal and blockade.  Thousands of people standing in rallies are loudly demanding Khaleda Zia's release. It's also a strong movement."

He alleged that the current government has destroyed all the achievements of the country's state institutions.

Fakhrul said freedom fighters did not liberate the country in 1971 to keep only a party and a person in power. "We liberated the country for democracy and having a democratic governing system."

He said the government has stayed in power "using" the state machinery by revoking the caretaker government system in 2012.

Referring to US sanctions on seven current and former officials of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the BNP leader said, "The sanctions need to be imposed on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as they acted at her behest."  

He said the government has "politicised" the judiciary, administration and law enforcement agencies to hang onto power. "This regime has become a liability for us. We need to remove this government as soon as possible."

Fakhrul said their party is observing 30 December as voting rights snatching day as Awami League took away votes at night on 29 December in 2018.

"We want to get back our voting rights, freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Journalists' right to write freely has been snatched by enacting the Digital Security Act," he observed.