Tarique Rahman calls for heightened vigilance against alleged vote-rigging plot
He alleged that for the past 16 years, people have been denied their political and voting rights.
BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has called on the public to stay vigilant against what he described as a conspiracy to manipulate the vote.
Speaking as the chief guest at an election rally at the Alia Madrasa ground in Sylhet on Thursday (22 January), Rahman said a plot to rig the polls was underway. He alleged that while one party had fled the country, certain groups within Bangladesh were now conspiring to undermine the electoral process.
Rahman said the nation had witnessed ballot snatching, the use of dummy candidates and overnight elections over the past 16 years. During this time, he claimed, people were deprived of their political and voting rights, and many lives were lost in the struggle to restore political freedom and freedom of expression.
He further alleged that the country had effectively been mortgaged to foreign interests over the same period. “That is why we say—neither Delhi nor Pindi, nor any other country. Bangladesh must come first,” he said.
The BNP chief also claimed that those who curtailed free speech and voting rights were responsible for widespread killings, including the disappearance and death of BNP leader Ilias Ali and many others.
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