The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson’s adviser Zainul Abdin Farroque said that BNP leaders and activists are ready to fight if anyone tries to weaken the party.
He also said that those who have been looting during the last nine and a half months will also be held accountable.
The BNP leader made these remarks at a discussion organised by Aporajeyo-Bangladesh on the occasion of the 44th death anniversary of former president Ziaur Rahman.
Farroque said, “As political activists, we are happy that trial proceedings have begun against Sheikh Hasina. But if anyone uses this as an excuse to defame or weaken the BNP, our activists will resist.”
He criticised those who are saying that “one looter has gone, with another looter on the way”.
“People will know who actually looted in the past nine-and-a-half months,” he added.
Referring to the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ remarks on the election situation in Bangladesh during his Japan visit, Farroque said that, while the adviser talks during his foreign visits, he should not say anything that hurts the members of the country’s largest political party.
He added that the chief adviser should consider how many parties want elections to take place.
“BNP has no intentions of grabbing power by force. We want a fair election that will restore democracy and voting rights,” he said.
Farroque questioned why the adviser, despite being an experienced and wise man, could not announce a roadmap for the election even after more than nine months since the interim government came into power.
“It would have been possible to hold an election within the first three months,” he added.
Farroque said that people had high hopes for the chief adviser. “Now we must find out who is breaking that hope,” he said.
He demanded that those in the government who are supporting other political parties should resign from the advisory council.