BNP seeks help of friendly countries to restore democracy

News Desk :: The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Monday sought help from ‘friendly countries’ to restore democracy in Bangladesh.

‘The rulers say that they have come to power with the help of a friendly country. It is evident from their words that they did not come to power by the people’s vote,’ BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan said.

He made the comments while talking to reporters at Hatirpool in Dhaka after visiting BNP national executive committee member Sheikh Rabiul Alam, who was recently released from jail.

Referring to the final report of the United States’ National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute, whose technical team observed the January 7 election, he said that they said that the general election was not acceptable.

‘With the help of friendly countries, we have been able to make this country independent in a short period of time. Today, we seek the help of friendly countries to restore democracy in Bangladesh,’ Moyeen Khan added.

He said that many words of the government have proved that they had staged a drama in the name of the election.

‘Today, those who helped bring this government to power—did they do it for the good of the country? Or to take away the freedom of speech of the people?’ he questioned.

He said that the government has started the politics of division in this country. They took up many projects to split BNP and bring it to the polls.

He said that the government was now trying to tarnish the image of BNP vice chairman Hafiz Uddin Ahmed as it failed to split BNP through him.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said that law-enforcing agencies had brutally tortured BNP leaders and activists.

‘Some have even removed their fingernails. The activists were not allowed to go outside the cells in the prison. It was cruel imprisonment for us. It was a process to kill BNP,’ he alleged.

The BNP leader was released from Keraniganj jail on February 20 after serving almost nine months in jail.