BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has termed Thursday’s attacks on Prothom Alo and Daily Star offices a conspiracy to create anarchy in Bangladesh.
He made the remark at a press brief on Friday night, following an emergency meeting of BNP’s Standing Committee held at the party’s Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s office in Gulshan.
After the meeting, Fakhrul read out decisions the committee had taken.
On Thursday evening, Inqilab Mancha Spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi died while undergoing treatment in Singapore. They strongly condemned and expressed their disgust at this cowardly killing.
“We once again demand the immediate arrest and trial of the killers,” Fakhrul said.
Following this untimely death, on Thursday, a group of unruly individuals set fire to the offices of several daily newspapers, including the daily Prothom Alo and the English Daily Star. They pushed the lives of working journalists into a risk of life and death. An attack was carried out on revered journalist, Nurul Kabir, editor of New Age and president of the Editors’ Council.
Attacks have also been carried out on various cultural institutions, including Chhayanaute.
The BNP strongly condemned and expressed their disgust at these heinous incidents.
“This incident proves that a certain old, identified quarter wants to deliberately push the country towards anarchy in a planned manner. They are trying to create a new version of fascism in the country by nullifying our right to vote,” he said.
“They are continuing these activities right under the nose of the government. The public also feels the government’s role is not satisfactory. As a result, the image of the government and the country is being tarnished at home and abroad,” Fakhrul added.
It is noted that all parties in the country have already been protesting this killing, demanding the trial of the killers.
“They have been pressuring the government to arrest the killers and bring them to justice. In such a situation, we believe that such disgraceful attacks are a conspiracy to make the upcoming national election and the democratic transition process uncertain,” Fakhrul said. “On behalf of the peace-loving citizens of the country, we want to warn these conspirators. We will not let our country, achieved through so much bloodshed, be destroyed. We must resist these evil forces unitedly. To counter this conspiracy, there is no alternative to the unity of all anti-anarchy political and social forces today.”
Also present at the press conference were BNP Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, retired Major Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and Selima Rahman.
