Voicing concern over the BGB Director General’s remarks that his troops will shoot in self-defence while dealing with blockaders, BNP on Thursday urged the state force to play a neutral and lawful rule.In a statement, BNP standing committee members said, “We’re deeply concerned over the BGB DG’s order to open fire standing against a political movement. We strongly condemn and protest it.”They also termed the BGB chief’s order out of his jurisdiction and unlawful one.Earlier in the day, BGB DG Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed at a press briefing at Pilkhana said, “BGB carries lethal weapons, but they won’t fire shots on anyone. If someone launches any attack, BGB members can open fire in self-defence.” In the statement signed by BNP vice chairman Selima Rahman, the party policymakers said some overenthusiastic officials engaging in maintaining law and order have started delivering politically-biased statements and unlawful orders, which is degrading the current situation fast.They alleged that the country’s political crisis has deepened as the current “unrepresentative regime which assumed office through voter-less and farcical polls” is continuously denying to hold an acceptable and participatory election.”An unrepresentative regime has initiated an extreme authoritarian rule in absence of democracy. They’re even not recognising the current political crisis, let alone taking initiative to overcome it,” the statement said. They also accused the government of suppressing the opposition by using the law enforcers and “armed cadres”. The BNP standing committee members claimed that the government as part of its well-thought-out plan is carrying out subversive acts during the 20-party’s ongoing blockade programme to shift the blame onto the opposition. “There’s no relation between such sabotage and people’s movement… the government must be held responsible for such acts,” according to the statement. The BNP top leaders condemned the “subversive acts” have so far been carried out during their blockade programme. They said they will give a befitting reply to the current regime’s “misdeeds” after making their current movement successful by restoring democracy, people’s voting and all other basic rights.
