Govt Surely Wants to Provoke Conflict on 27 July: Fakhrul

The government is being accused by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of deliberately trying to inflame tension by organizing the Jubo League protest on the same day as their event.

In a news conference conducted on Monday (24 July) in the late afternoon at the Naya Paltan headquarters, Mirza Fakhrul urged the ruling party to think about moving their protest.

"Ministers of the government have been hurling threats in the last few days," he asserted, calling their language resembled that of terrorists.

Expressing concern over the government's actions, he said, "Clearly they are threatening conflict. But the people of the country remain steadfast despite such challenges."

The BNP leader emphasized the need of protecting the constitutional right to organize demonstrations and charged the administration with stifling their right to free speech and association.

He also asserted that the government's efforts have increased killings and disappearances, which he says have increased in frequency across the nation.

"The people of the country want to be freed from the clasp of this terrible, illegal and monster government. Foreigners too also want free and fair elections in the country," Fakhrul added.

Speaking about the rally's location, he stated that the Dhaka Metropolitan Police had been informed about the event and expressed the hope that the location would be decided by today (July 24).

Insisting that their cause is based on the right to vote and is in the best interests of the country, Mirza Fakhrul asked government officials to support the people's movement at the time.

The BNP made a major demonstration announcement earlier on Saturday (22 July) to emphasize their one-point demand for a nonpartisan poll-time administration. The event will take place in the capital on July 27.

Besides the BNP, 37 like-minded parties, including the Gonotontro Moncho, 12-party alliance, Nationalist Alliance, Gono Odhikar Porishod (Reza Kibria), LDP, Gono Forum, and Democratic Left Unity Alliance, have also decided to hold grand rallies in Dhaka on the same date separately.

In a press release on Sunday (23 July), Jubo League, the youth wing of AL, announced a counter rally on the same day. They will hold their 24 July "Youth Victory" rally on 27 July at the southwest gate of Baitul Mokarram Mosque.

Besides, Awami League and its various organisations are also planning to hold separate programmes on the day depending on the situation, Awami League sources said.