The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party alleged on Sunday that the government was forming a new tribunal to try opposition leaders and activists and keep them away from politics through conviction.
鈥楾he prime minister has ordered [the law ministry] to settle all cases quickly. So, efforts are being made to settle the cases of opposition leaders quickly,鈥� BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a press conference at the BNP chairperson鈥檚 Gulshan office.
The press conference was organised to announce the decision of the BNP standing committee meeting held on Wednesday night, presided over by the party鈥檚 acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, virtually.
鈥業t has been specifically stated by the Ministry of Law that some cases will be tried without a hearing. The illegitimate government is using the judiciary to implement the process of depoliticization by sentencing and jailing opposition political leaders so that it can make its power earned through rigged elections absolute,鈥� Fakhrul said.
He said that about 2,000 leaders and activists of the BNP have been convicted so far in completely fabricated, false, and fictitious cases.
鈥榃e are getting news that a new tribunal is being formed,鈥� he said, adding that this step is being taken to put all those who do opposition politics in jail.
He said that the main goal of the ruling Awami League was to completely banish politics in the country and make it the only party.
鈥榃e can see their [government鈥檚] attempt to send politics into exile in every election while they are deciding the candidates and dummy candidates and even fixing the seats for the so-called opposition parties,鈥� he said.
The BNP leader also said that the AL鈥檚 crisis had deepened after the January 7 election.
Saying that the AL was giving the wrong impression that they had overcome the crisis, Fakhrul said that in fact the crisis had deepened.
鈥楾he crisis of the Awami League has deepened in the past election. If they do not realise it yet, the future is not very good for them,鈥� he said.
Fakhrul held a press conference for the last time at the Gulshan office on October 27 last year, just the day before the much-talked-about BNP grand rally that was foiled midway by police and the ruling party.
It followed the arrest of Fakhrul and several thousand BNP leaders and activists in the run-up to the 12th parliamentary elections held in January, keeping them in jail.
He was freed on bail in February.
