TDS Desk

The BNP is not in favour of banning any political party, its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (2 November).

“Who are we to ban political parties? It is the people who will decide,” he said in response to questions from journalists after attending a meeting in Dhaka commemorating the second death anniversary of BNP leader Sabih Uddin Ahmed.

Asked about the recent incidents revolving around the Jatiyo Party, Fakhrul said there is a “conspiracy” to destabilise the country, reports UNB.

“A non-issue has been made into a bigger issue to hatch a new conspiracy,” he added.

On 31 October, Jatiyo Party’s central office in the capital’s Bijaynagar was vandalised and torched, followed by an announcement that the party would be holding a rally on Saturday.

The next day, Jatiyo Party Chairman GM Quader announced holding the rally in Kakrail nonetheless.

The party later postponed its rally, after the DMP issued a public notice banning all public gatherings in the capital’s Kakrail area on Saturday.

Earlier on 28 October, three conveners of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement – Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, and Hasibul Islam – filed two writ petitions with the High Court seeking suspension of all “political activities” of 11 political parties, including the Awami League and Jatiyo Party, and also the cancellation of the last three national elections.

The next day, however, the student leaders withdrew the writ petitions.

Meanwhile, the press wing of the interim government’s chief adviser said no decision was made to ban any political party other than the Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of the Awami League.