SM Mizanur Rahman :
The law enforcers’ latest hunt for ‘terrorist outfits’, who were allegedly behind the killing of foreigners, bloggers, free thinkers and cops, has sparked a fresh arrest panic among the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) ranks and file.
Talking to The New Nation, some BNP leaders on Monday said that they were going through a turbulent time and under tremendous pressure right now, as the government policymakers were pointing fingers at them for the killing of foreigners, bloggers, free thinkers as well as cops.
As the government has become desperate to oust BNP from the municipality and union council elections’ race, it
has intensified its repressive acts on party leaders and workers. The recent drives by law enforcers put the BNP in further trouble, as the party claimed that over 3000 leaders and workers, including nearly 180 promising mayor and councillor candidates, have been arrested from November 3 to till date. Most party senior leaders said that BNP should go to the municipality polls under any circumstances not to give the government any scope to score in an ’empty field’.
“Like party’s other stalwarts, arrest panic has already gripped me as I made comments on rise in terrorism and militancy’ in the country. I know nothing what situation I’m going to face today or tomorrow,” a member of party standing committee told The New Nation on Monday.
The government knows it very well that people will not vote the ruling party candidates for their “misdeeds and misrule and for snatching their voting rights” in the January 5 election last year. When contacted Lieutenant General (Rtd) Mahbubur Rahman, another member of party standing committee, said, apart from ranks and file, their field level leaders and workers are also on the run already.
“If the front ranking leaders of the party are implicated in these killings, harassment of our leaders will increase further,” he said, adding the country is heading towards chaos as law enforcers can not arrest terrorists. They are rather engaged in suppressing the opposition.
“The country is again heading towards a disorder. Now people have no security of their lives and property as law enforcers have targeted opposition politicians, but not the terrorists,” he said. He said the latest crackdown against hunt for ‘terrorist outfits'” would be used as a tool to intensify police crackdown on opposition men.
“Police who are supposed to identify the real culprits are making unwarranted comments. They are being used by the government to eliminate the opposition entirely,” he said.
When asked about BNP’s stance about upcoming municipality polls, despite various limitations and obstacles, he says that it will not be a big problem for them to finalise the candidates, no matter how many grassroots leaders are in jail and arrested. “BNP is a big party and it has many alternative candidates.” Besides, two months have already elapsed but uncertainty about the return of the BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia prevails and it is intensifying frustration among the party leaders and workers.
Meanwhile on Monday, BNP Vice-Chairman Major (Rtd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said, they are eagerly waiting for Begum Khaleda Zia’s return. “After return, she will call for a vigorous movement to oust the government. And her call will burry the ruling Awami League,” Major Hafiz said it at a discussion at National Press Club in city.
Senior lawyer and BNP leader Khandaker Mahbub Hossain urged the government to stop the mass arrest. “Without any case or arrest warrant, the government has launched massive crackdown to net the BNP leaders and workers across the country,” he said while addressing a press briefing at Supreme Court Bar Association’ auditorium in city.
