BNP urges interim govt to control nationwide unrest

Voicing deep concern over the acts of vandalism and arson across the country, the BNP has called upon the interim government to establish control over the situation by strictly enforcing law and order.

In a statement early Friday, the party also expressed its concern that if the government fails to demonstrate its ability to control the current situation, the stability of the state and government will be at risk.

The statement, signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, said, “We urge the interim government to establish control over the situation. Otherwise, an anarchic situation will spread in the country. So, it is now the demand of time to enforce law and order strictly and make the role of the state and government visible."

He said their party is observing with deep concern that the provocative behaviour of the defeated, fallen and fugitive autocrat and its associates has led to indecent and objectionable comments about the bloodstained student uprising of July-August, generating intense anger and resentment among the people of the country.

“As a result, visible public enthusiasm was seen in various parts of the country, including Dhaka, where memories, statues, monuments, and nameplates of the fallen autocrat were torn down on Wednesday,” the BNP leader said.

He said there is a public perception that the current interim government has failed to take effective and visible steps in the past six months to bring the runaway autocrat and its associates to justice.

“So, people are being encouraged to engage in illegal activities like taking the law into their own hands. When a government is in place, such actions can damage its reputation both at home and abroad,” Rizvi warned.

Following the student-led July uprising, he said the expectation of people was that the rule of law would be restored, which should have been the top priority for the current government.

The BNP leader said the government has failed to demonstrate its capability in taking appropriate action when people from various walks of life are creating public suffering through "mob culture" on the streets in the name of various demands.

He also said state assistance for the families of martyrs of the July-August student-led uprising, proper medical treatment and rehabilitation for the injured, ensuring swift justice for the disgraced fugitive autocrat and its associates, and taking effective measures to prevent the provocative activities of defeated fascists are urgent priorities.

But, Rizvi said, there has been no visible or significant progress in these matters. “The administration has not yet been freed from the associates of the fallen fascist regime, fascist sympathisers are still present within the judiciary, and active anti-uprising members are still working within the police force.”

In this situation, he said, there are significant doubts about whether the government will be able to fulfill the people's aspirations.

The BNP leader said it is essential to control the market syndicates to alleviate the daily hardships of the people.

“The false and fictitious cases filed against the people of all classes and professions who participated in the sixteen-year-long democratic struggle against fascism have not yet been resolved,” he said.

The BNP leader said democracy-loving citizens are still being harassed by these baseless cases filed by the fascist regime, but the government has not taken effective steps to address the issue.

“Holding the aspirations of the July student uprising, ensuring the restoration of people's lost democratic rights, constitutional rights, human rights, and voting rights, the establishment of an elected political government as soon as possible is now the highest priority,” he said.

Rizvi said promptly arranging an election by implementing the election-related urgent reforms should be the main mandate of the current government.

But, he said, the interim government seems to be giving more attention to other matters rather than prioritising this most essential matter.

“The eradication of fascism does not lie solely in the destruction or removal of the symbols of fallen fascists and autocrats, rather in the establishment of ideological politics that promote anti-fascist ideals, power and influence. Strengthening the anti-fascist public unity and practicing a culture of national unity through political cooperation is the best approach. We must all continue our efforts to spread this message among the people,” Rizvi said.

He laid emphasis on controlling the current situation by demonstrating the government’s capability.

Otherwise, the BNP leader feared, there is a possibility of the resurgence of extreme anarchists, anti-democratic local and foreign evil forces, along with defeated fascists. “The symptoms of which are already visible.”