Zainul Abdin Farooque, Adviser to the BNP Chairperson and former Chief Whip of the opposition, has warned that the party will not tolerate any attempts to sabotage the upcoming national parliamentary elections. “We do not seek confrontation, but if anyone tries to derail the elections, it will not be accepted. The BNP is ready to counter any such conspiracy,” he said. Farooque made the remarks on Thursday, October 16, while delivering the keynote speech at a citizen rally organized by Aparajeyo Bangladesh in front of the National Press Club. The main demand of the rally was the speedy investigation and judicial progress of enforced disappearance cases.
Addressing the advisers of the interim government, Farooque urged, “You have assured that the national election will take place in the first week of February next year. Ensure that no one obstructs this process. You stand with 180 million people, so proceed with the elections without yielding to anyone’s pressure.”
He added, “Just three months before the elections, a situation is emerging that could disrupt the electoral process. Conspirators must be monitored carefully.”
Farooque recounted the BNP’s long history of political struggle, saying, “The BNP is not a small party. Under the ideals of Shaheed Zia, this party stood in knee-deep water for 16 years during the fascist regime. Our leaders and activists slept in graveyards for fear of police and earned their livelihood by driving rickshaws. If anyone tries to undermine the elections by underestimating the BNP, we have the courage to counter it, Inshallah.”
He urged friends of democracy, “As the country prepares for elections, no confusion should be created that could hold you responsible for any derailment of the electoral process.”
Quoting BNP senior leader Salahuddin Ahmed, Farooque said, “We do not want to engage in any action that would waste the blood shed during the July mass uprising or give India an opportunity to interfere in Bangladesh’s internal politics.”
Farooque also criticized the government for failing to bring perpetrators of enforced disappearances and killings to justice. “Those who created secret detention centers and carried out abductions—such as Choudhury Alam and Ilyas Ali—have not been arrested. How many of them has this government brought under the law in the past one year and four months?”
Addressing the government directly, he said, “No more delays. Conduct the national elections immediately. Once we gain the majority, we will form a new government and ensure justice for those involved in abductions, killings, and the destruction of the judiciary.”
The citizen rally was chaired by the organization’s Vice President Badal Sarkar. Other speakers included BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Harunur Rashid, BNP Religious Affairs Secretary Rafiqul Islam Jamal, and the organization’s General Secretary Ismail Hossain Siraji.