BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has called on the nation to stand up against abduction and forced disappearances at a May Day rally. She demanded that the government identify the criminals abducting people in the guise of police and RAB. “I am declaring an organisational red alert all over the country. Come when I call you. Stay together, and stand up against murder and abduction,” Khaleda asked the party activists at the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal rally at Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan on Thursday. “In the past there was Rakkhi Bahini, Lal Bahini, Nil Bahini, who did the abduction and killing. Now we hear about plainclothes men, men in RAB uniforms, abducting people. Who are these plainclothesmen?” “Whoever tries to abduct you, capture them. Whether it’s police or RAB, don’t let them go,” she urged the people. She warned that the prime minister would have to answer for the incidents in Narayanganj. The BNP chief accused the ruling Awami League of abduction and murder, in response to the recovery of the dead bodies of six abductees in Narayanganj on Wednesday and another on Thursday. “The government is responsible for the situation in Narayanganj. Why couldn’t the home minister find them? Why were they found dead? Hasina will have to answer for this,” she said. She claimed that youths were being abducted in a pre-planned way to prevent an anti-government movement. BNP claims 310 of its activists have been murdered or abducted in the last one year. “Who did all these murders and abductions? There’s no use asking this illegal government for justice. No one has been caught in these incidents because Awami League leaders have committed these crimes,” Khaleda told the rally. “The country is not safe for anyone.” She announced that her party would take to the streets for the safety of the people. Replying to allegations by the Awami League that the BNP had militant connections, Khaleda said, “We don’t believe in militancy. We are a democratic party. Wearing caps and saying prayers don’t make anyone a militant.” “Who has links to militants? The truth is out. Juba League leaders helped the militants escape,” she said, referring to the snatching of JMB militants from a prison van in Mymensingh in February. “Abdur Rahman (JMB leader) was a relative of Mirza Azam, who’s an Awami League leader.” Khaleda said the government was a “slave government”. “The servant can protest the master’s wrongdoing. But a slave can’t even do that. The Awami League government can’t protest the wrongdoings of their master,” she said. “They can’t protest when Felani’s body hangs from barbed wire at the border. They can’t protest when BSF crosses the border and shoots people dead.” Supporters greeted Khaleda with slogans and applause when she reached the rally. Upon arriving, she spoke to several Rana Plaza survivors. –bdnews24.com
