PM pushing country into crisis: Rizvi

BNP has accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of pushing the country into crisis to win the upcoming general election.

"Bangladesh is now disconnected from the democratic world. Ignoring calls from various countries, Sheikh Hasina will stage a drama on January 7," BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said at a virtual press briefing last night.

"Sheikh Hasina has pushed everything into crisis to be in power," he said

The BNP and its allies have announced a fresh 48-hour nationwide blockade starting this morning, demanding the election under a non-party interim government. This will be the ninth round of blockades called by the BNP since October 28.

Rizvi slammed the Election Commission's announcement of the polls schedule, saying, "The farmers and workers of Bangladesh, along with people of various professions, are starving today."

He alleged the EC and PM have plans to waste Tk 2,000 crore of public money "just for the sake of a one-sided election event."

He went on to say, "18 crore people will prevent the upcoming polls through movement."

Rizvi further alleged that Awami League leaders and activists were being trained to attack BNP men.

He claimed at least 225 party leaders and activists were detained, and eight cases were filed against 915 named and many unnamed party activists in 24 hours till Friday evening.

3 buses torched

Unidentified miscreants set fire to three buses in the capital's Gabtoli, Agargaon, and Sayedabad areas last night, on the eve of BNP's 48-hour blockade.

In Gabtoli, a bus was torched in front of the bus terminal around 11:09pm. In Agargaon, a Bhuiyan Paribahan bus was set afire around 11:00pm near the Passport Office area. Meanwhile, another bus was set ablaze near Sayedabad Bus Terminal around 11:00pm.