Leaders of the BNP-led 20-party alliance have called upon the countrymen to stand against forced disappearances, killings and torture of the government’s forces.
They made the call at a human chain organized in the city on Tuesday protesting the enforced disappearances of their leaders and workers. Leaders and workers of the alliance participated in their rescheduled human
chain from Bijoynagar Nightingale crossing to Fakirerpool crossing at noon marking the ‘International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance’.
Earlier on Saturday, the alliance rescheduled its human chain programme for Tuesday as the government denied permission for holding the programme on that day as it coincided with a ruling party programme. As part of its countrywide programme, the BNP-led alliance also formed human chains in other districts of the country. A huge number of police and members of other law enforcing agencies were deployed at Nayapaltan, Fakirerpool and the adjacent areas during the human chain programme.
Addressing the programme, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “This illegal government has made the country a reign of terror and fear. Silent protest won’t bring any benefit. All of us have to fight against the cruelty of the government so that it does not dare to continue the killing and forced disappearances of the leaders and workers of opposition parties.”
BNP senior leaders Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman, MK Anwar and Abdullah-al-Noman, Jamaat central leader Md Selim Uddin, chairman of Islami Oikya Jote Maulana Abdul Latif Nejami, president of Jatiya Gonotantrik Party (Jagpa) Shafiul Alam Prodhan, chairman of Bangladesh Kalyan Party Maj Gen (Retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim Birapratik, LDP secretary general Dr Redwan Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh NAP Jebel Rahman Ghaani and president of Bangladesh Islamic Party Advocate Abdul Mobin also addressed the human chain.
Mirza Fakhrul said that none is safe in the hands of the present government. The citizens of the county are not safe even in their residence. “The incident of murder and other crimes are on rise alarmingly because the government is sponsoring the incidents.”
He further said that the countrymen are passing the days in panic situation due to the extreme deterioration of law and order. In this backdrop, a strong movement has to be formed against the government under the leadership of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia so that the present illegal government is compelled to quit power, he said.
