BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Monday alleged that the Awami League government has destroyed the spirit of the Language Movement.
“We got independence as we established our mother tongue Bengali as the state language through the Language Movement with the spirit of democracy,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader lamented that democracy is now missing in the country after 51 years of its independence.
“The international community is also now saying that there is no democracy in Bangladesh. It is sad but true that democracy, the spirit of the Language Movement and the Liberation War, has been repeatedly destroyed by Awami League in the country,” he said.
Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, said Awami League annihilated democracy for the first time by establishing one-party Baksal rule after the country’s independence. “They have again killed democracy to stay in power by force for 14 years.”
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BNP arranged the discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, marking the Shaheed Day and International Mother Language Day.
Ekushey February will be observed simultaneously as Shaheed Dibash and International Mother Language Day on Tuesday in the country in recognition of the nation's supreme sacrifice for its mother tongue.
Mosharraf said the country’s people now cannot vote, not only in parliamentary elections, but also in local government elections as the government has snatched their right to vote. “The results are now determined before voting. Democracy has been killed in this way during the Awami League rules.”
He said ensuring the freedom of expression and free thinking also represents the spirit of the Language Movement. “But we don’t have now the right to speak freely.”
The BNP leader also alleged that the Awami League has repeatedly interfered in media freedom to hamper free thoughts.
He alleged that Awami League shut down different newspapers and television stations during its different tenures.
Mosharraf slammed the government for shutting down BNP’s mouthpiece the Daily Din Kal on Sunday. “That’s how the freedom of the media and the medium of free thoughts has been stopped by the Awami League government whenever it got the opportunity."
He called upon the country’s people to make their ongoing movement for realising the 10-point demand, including the resignation of the current regime, a success with their united efforts.