AL unleashes terror to foil victory of students’ movement: Fakhrul

Staff Correspondent: BNP on Sunday alleged that the ‘autocratic’ Awami League government has turned the entire country into a battleground by unleashing terror in the form of law enforcers and ruling party ‘cadres’ on Saturday and Sunday, to kill and repress students and common people, after failing to suppress what has turned into a mass movement.

In a statement, party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also accused Awami League cadres of orchestrating planned attacks on various establishments, including BSMMU (PG Hospital), with the intent of blaming the protesters. “This is part of their usual tactics.”

He urged the people, leaders, activists, supporters, and well-wishers of the BNP and its affiliated organisations to ensure the success of the ‘March to Dhaka’ programme of the anti-discrimination student movement and the one-point movement of students and the masses, while continuing their protests in their respective areas.

Fakhrul also urged the ‘illegitimate’ Prime Minister to step down immediately by accepting the demands of the students.

“On the first day of the non-cooperation movement, the members of law enforcement agencies, armed terrorists of the Awami League Chhatra League and Jubo League, who usurped power, killed about a hundred students and people in different parts of the country including the capital Dhaka,” he said.

Besides, over a thousand people were seriously injured by gunshots.

As per its Saturday’s announcement, the BNP leader said Awami League let loose its armed leaders and workers to attack the agitating students and people all over the country today in a planned way.

He said the law enforcers and the armed leaders and activists of Awami League attacked the democracy-loving people and students and fired with deadly firearms at various places, including Dhanmondi, Science Laboratory, Mirpur, Uttara and Topkhana Road in Dhaka.

“The entire country has been turned into a battleground today (Sunday) by killing, torturing and using force to suppress the movement. The despotic government is killing the students and masses by indiscriminately shooting after offering discussion,” the BNP leader said.

He slammed the government for again shutting down mobile internet and various social media platforms like Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp.

Besides, Fakhrul said an indefinite curfew has been imposed across the country from Sunday evening to scare people and curb agitation.

Just like Saturday, he said the Awami ‘cadres’ attacked the houses of BNP and other opposition leaders in different parts of the country, establishing a reign of terror.

Strongly protesting the brutal attack and repression by the fascist government, the BNP leader said the mass uprising carried across the country through mass awakening cannot be thwarted by killing, suppressing and oppressing people.

“The government deliberately wants to destroy the victory of the movement by inciting conflict and violence. The agitating people of Bangladesh will achieve victory by foiling all plots,” Fakhrul said.

He promised that the trial of those who killed the students and mass people in the ongoing non-cooperation movement must be held on the soil of Bangladesh.

The BNP leader expressed deep sorrow over the loss of so many lives and prayed for the salvation of the departed souls.

He also conveyed his profound sympathy to the bereaved family members and wished a speedy recovery to those wounded.

Fakhrul said the sacrifice of those killed in the movement will be written in golden letters in the history of Bangladesh.