Awami League wants to suppress the movement by firing bullets: Fakhrul

Stating that the blood of Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim will not go in vain, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said the fascist Awami regime has made it clear that it wants to suppress the movement by resorting to repression through firing bullets by police. But Abdur Rahim’s blood in Bhola has proved that the people of this country will never accept the repressive policies of the despotic government.

In a brief address prior to a gayebana namaz-e-janaza in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Fakhrul said the people of Bjola has also sent out a message that they will restore democracy and free the country from misrule even by sacrificing their lives and blood, reports UNB.

“We cannot let Abdur Rahim's blood go in vain. So this grief has to be transformed into strength. We must move forward holding the spirit of his (Rahim’s) sacrifice of life and blood and we have to defeat this government by intensifying our movement.”

Fakhrul alleged that police opened fire on a peaceful rally in Bhola, killing Swechasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim and injuring over a hundred people, including BNP central leader ABM Mosharraf Hossain, there.

"The blood of my democracy-loving brothers has been shed by the police firing in Bhola. It was a completely peaceful rally demanding electricity. But the police of Sheikh Hasina's fascist government fired bullets on that rally,” he said.

As part of BNP’s countrywide demonstration programme protesting the load shedding and mismanagement in the power sector, the leaders and activists of the party gathered in front of their district party office in Bhola on Sunday morning.

At one stage, police obstructed them when they tried to stage demonstrations at Kalinath Roy Bazar around 11:30 am, triggering a clash.

Later, police fired bullets and lobbed teargas shells that left Abdur Rahm dead and injured many other leaders and activists of the party.

BNP announced a two-day nationwide programme, including gayebana janaza in protest against police firing at the rally.

As part of the programme, the party leaders and activists joined the gayebana namaz-e-janaza in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office in memory of Abdur Rahim.

BNP senior leaders and over a hundred leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies participate in the programme.

The party will also stage demonstrations in all districts, including in Dhaka, on Tuesday in protest against the killing of Abdul Rahim, member secretary of Bhola’s South Dighaldi Union Swechchasebak Dal.