Democratic people have been reduced to second-class citizens: Ruhul Kabir Rizvi

Owing to the absence of democracy, an inhumane dark age is going on in the country, said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Munday (25 September).

‘‘The country has been plunged into the darkness of fascism by the misrule of one person, one party, and democratic people have been reduced to second-class citizens. Sheikh Hasina's relationship with the democratic world has been cut off. Now Sheikh Hasina has a mutual love relationship with all the dictators of the world. Fair, participatory elections, dissenting voices, opposition voices being the enemies of Sheikh Hasina now, the fascist Sheikh Hasina has close intimacy with the undemocratic dictators. So a party like Awami League will not allow any election under them, where they will be defeated. Therefore, exercise of suffrage under a caretaker government is the only prerequisite for free and fair elections,’’ Rizvi said during a press conference at the BNP's Nayapaltan office.

‘‘The Prime Minister said in the United States- 'If you confiscate the son's assets, it doesn't matter'. It means that the Prime Minister admitted her son's wealth. Then if the amount of seized assets and money was mentioned, the people would understand what the real story is. Even their opponents have never questioned America's own good governance and independent judiciary,’’ he added.

Rizvi said, ‘‘Since independence they have developed state democracy by practicing democracy. The government of that country cannot confiscate anyone's just property, house or money even if it wants to. Through this speech of Sheikh Hasina, there is a glimpse of many more hidden incidents of money laundering in this country. It is natural that the robber gangs of the country who turned everything starting from the government treasury and other financial institutions into a paradise of loot will hold on to the power by the force of their rule,. The allotted time for Bangladesh in the UN General Session is only one hour. To deliver this one-hour speech, the Prime Minister has traveled for 18 days with a huge fleet of 167 people, who paid for the food of the starving people of a poor country. This proves Sheikh Hasina's development of billing people with the promise of development. You don't need to be very wise to realize it. It is not found from any source that she has any other programs in the United States apart from this onehour program. The prime minister has no qualms about stealing money from poor people.’’

‘‘In order to give death bite, Sheikh Hasina has brought down various instruments of oppression on the people who believe in democracy. There are continuous brutal incidents of false cases, arrests, assaults and vandalism going on all over the country. She has threatened the country by taking away all the rights of the people. Ignoring the issues of fair elections, democracy, human rights and accountability, law and order forces, administration, courts, judges have all been turned into Prime Minister's henchman because they are behaving as a government without a mandate. In the name of justice, political activists were bullied and detained for long periods of time using camera trials and court-arranged witness. They are being used mercilessly from cell to cell in the style of a concentration camp. German Nazi leader Hitler's aide Goering declared 'Hitler is the law'. Now the supporters of Sheikh Hasina think that Sheikh Hasina is the law,’’ he added.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi said, ‘‘On the eve of the elections, examples of fascism began to emerge in the court premises. Rajshahi district BNP convener Abu Saeed Chand has been arrested and harassed for almost 5 months very cruelly. A Bakshali court in Rajshahi yesterday handed down a three-year sentence in a false and fabricated case. But his name was not in the FIR in the said case; moreover the plaintiff withdrew the case. In order to delete the list of opposition parties from the country, the trial in false cases has been started by the courts all over the country.’’

‘‘I strongly condemn and protest against this sentence and repudiate it with disgust.

Not only by the police and law courts, but also by the administration and the health ministry, the opposition party's business establishments and even service establishments have been closed. Dhaka district BNP president Khandaker Abu Ashfaq's well-known company 'Prescription Point and Diagnostic Center Ltd' has been completely and illegally closed on the orders of Health Minister's son Rahat Malik. This company has been operating in Banani with good reputation for 17 years. During this long period no one could complain of irregularities against this

institution. The institution gained a reputation for providing modern treatments at low cost. But suddenly the establishment was locked and closed without any reason just for the purpose of occupation. I strongly condemn, protest and condemn this incident and call for immediate opening of the institution,’’ he added.