Not one iota of democracy now in Bangladesh: Tuku

BNP senior leader Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku on Friday lamented that the country is running according to the will of one person.

"We waged the Liberation War for democracy, but that democracy has now been eliminated. There isn't one iota of democracy here,” he said.

The BNP leader said the country is now under the rule of an individual (Sheikh Hasina): "What she wants is the will of the state. Everything happens as per her wish.”

Tuku, a BNP standing committee member, made the remarks while speaking at the 10th Congress of Revolutionary Workers' Party of Bangladesh (Bangladesher Biplobi Workers' Party) at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.

He said a strong unity of people from all walks of life is necessary to overcome the current situation in the country.

"We’ve now got united and we’re carrying out a collective movement so that the wishes of many people, instead of one person, is evaluated in running the country,” the BNP leader said.

He said people don't want to stay in the current situation of the country anymore. “We arranged 10 divisional rallies defying many obstacles. People joined rallies braving all barriers, even crossing rivers. It means people don't want this government anymore."

Stating that there will be a mass sit-in programme across the country, including Dhaka on January 11, he said, "This government must quit through the movement we’re waging based on unity,” Tuku said.

He called upon the leaders and activists of the Revolutionary Workers' Party of Bangladesh to take part the programmes of the simultaneous movement to send out a message to the government that people are not with it

“I think this government has to go as people have woken up. No one could stand up to the people, nor will they (govt)," the BNP leader said.