The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Friday asked the people to stand united against the Awami League-led government saying that the incumbents were marching towards a one party-rule as neo-BKSAL.
‘We have to be united for a tough fight to over throw the heavy-weight stone of neo-BKSAL and defeat the undemocratic force that cling to power through voter-less farcical elections,’ Khaleda said in a statement marking the January 25 as the ‘Democracy Killing Day’.
On this day, the Awami League government established the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League in 1975, banning other political parties through the fourth amendment to the constitution.
‘At that time, they implemented the undemocratic medieval rule of BKSAL with their muscle power ignoring opposition voice and demeaning the spirit of the war of independence to stay in power forever. Through the BKSAL, they snatched away the people’s rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. They banned the news media. They wanted to bury the existence of democracy,’ she said.
‘This time, sensing their debacle in free and fair elections, the Awami League scrapped the constitutional provisions for the election-time caretaker government system to snatch people’s voting rights,’ Khaleda said.
Terming the January 5 elections a mockery, the BNP chief said that the ‘forcible occupant’ government was dreaming to linger their authoritarian regime.
