BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has sharply criticised ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, describing it as an era of continuous oppression.
He made the remarks on the anniversary of the fall of Hussain Muhammad Ershad’s dictatorship and the restoration of democracy, stating that party leader Begum Khaleda Zia’s life is now in critical danger after years of sustained harassment under Sheikh Hasina’s government.
In a statement to the media, signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Tarique Rahman recalled 6 December, 1990, as a historic day when the people of Bangladesh ended nearly a decade of autocratic rule.
“On this unforgettable day, students and citizens united to defeat dictatorship and restore democracy. Ershad had illegally removed President Justice Abdus Sattar in 1982, destroying democratic institutions. It was under Khaleda Zia’s determined leadership that the people mobilised to reclaim democracy,” he said.
Drawing parallels to the present, Tarique Rahman claimed that democratic forces had once again resisted authoritarianism on 5 August, 2024.
He described the Awami League as a historical threat to democracy and emphasized the need to remain vigilant against any attempt to revive anti-democratic forces.
He condemned that during Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic rule, Khaleda Zia, has faced repeated imprisonment and persecution.
“Years of relentless oppression have pushed her life to the brink. We pray for her speedy recovery,” he added. Tarique Rahman also paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the anti-dictatorship movement between 1982 and 1990, calling on democratic forces to remain united to protect the nation’s hard-won democratic values.
