Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday claimed that at least 2,000 opposition leaders and activists were arrested across the country following the violent student movement.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson鈥檚 Gulshan office, he demanded immediate release of their arrested leaders and activists.
鈥楽o far we have come to know that around 2,000 of our leaders and activists were arrested,鈥� said Fakhrul.
He, however, said they don鈥檛 still have the exact information about the arrested and casualties as the communication system has been closed by the government
鈥榃e鈥檝e got isolated and we can鈥檛 contact with our leaders and workers as the government has kept the communication system shut,鈥� said the BNP secretary general.
He also said that they were still unable to resume their political activities since their party鈥檚 Nayapaltan central office was locked by the law enforcers following a raid there. 鈥榊ou saw how our office was raided and everything was taken away.鈥�
Fakhrul said that their party鈥檚 senior leaders, including standing committee members Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Gono Odhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque Nur, Jamaat leaders Golam Parwar and Abdullah Mohammad Taher are among the arrested.
About the casualties, he said that the government was not giving information about how many people were killed and injured as it wants to mislead the nation.
The government is only trying to highlight the attacks and vandalism during the movement dropping the issue of casualties to shift the blames on BNP.
The BNP leader also said that the government wanted to completely exclude the issue of the movement and casualties only bring forward the incidents of attacks and vandalism in government buildings as it wanted to put the blame on BNP.
He dismissed the government鈥檚 allegations involving BNP with subversive activities as baseless.
Fakhrul said that they were with the movement but it does not mean that they patronised sabotage. 鈥楾he govt provoked the violence and invited the problem.鈥�
He claimed that BNP never carried out attack on state establishment in the 40-year history of the party鈥檚 political journey.
