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Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) does not want to see any conflict with the government rather they want to see peaceful handover of power, said the party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
"Elections will never be held under your (Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) government. We (BNP) want neutral elections. We don't want conflict. We want to see peaceful handover of power," Mirza Fakhrul said at a rally in the capital's Syamoli area.
The rally was called to compel the government to realise BNP's 10-point charter of demands, including immediate resignation of the government, holding national elections under a neutral caretaker government, forming Election Commission afresh and releasing the party chairperson and other leaders and activists.
Mirza Fakhrul said during 1996 the Awami League said that they would not take part in the elections without the formation of the caretaker government.
"Today we (BNP) also clearly want to say that people will not accept elections without the caretaker government," he warned.
He said during 2018 the government assured that no opposition leaders and activists would be arrested.
But despite the assurance, opposition leaders and activists are being harassed, arrested and tortured by the government, he lamented.
He blamed the government for curtailing the Election Commission's power as it (the government) is set to enact a law which will snatch the commission's power to declare election of a constituency null and void.
He urged the government officials not to obey the government's order as the days of the incumbent government is numbered.
He also called upon the members of the law enforcing agencies not to do anything for which they will become targets.