Taking a swipe at the Prime Minister for rejecting their party’s demand for an election-time neutral government, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday said Sheikh Hasina delivered speech in parliament on Wednesday like a one-party ruler.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, he urged the government to take steps for amending the Constitution to hold the 11th parliamentary elections under a non-party supportive government as per people’s hopes and aspirations, reports the UNB.

‘She (PM) talked like a one-party Baksal ruler in parliament about the polls-time government yesterday (Wednesday). She talked like a brutal authoritarian ruler,’ the BNP leader said.

He further said, ‘In a democratic system, the Constitution is amended according to the needs of people. Constitution is amended in all democratic countries, including India, Japan, the USA and the western countries, as per people’s demands.’  

Rizvi said a non-party election-time supportive government is crucial to introduce by amending the Constitutions for ensuring an inclusive, credible and competitive polls and restore people’s voting rights.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in Parliament, ‘According to Article 126 of the Constitution, the Election Commission will perform its duty and the size of the cabinet will get smaller. The government will only carry out routine works and not take any policy decision during the election.’

Noting that the Constitution is the supreme law of the country, she said, ‘There’s no provision in the Constitution to form any government like ‘election-supportive government’.’

Reacting to the PM’s comment, Rizvi said the Constitution can be amended now the way it was done in 1996 to introduce caretaker government system following Awami League’s demand.

‘You (Hasina) waged a violent movement in 1996 to realise your demand for the caretaker government system. The provision was not there in the charter at that time. So, what’s the problem to amend the Constitution now as per people’s demand?’ he said.   

The BNP leader alleged that the government is carrying on its crackdown on leaders and activists of BNP and its alliance partners ahead of a court verdict to be delivered on February 8 in a ‘false’ graft case of their chairperson Khaleda Zia.

He said a number of BNP and 20-party leaders, including NDP assistant secretary general Shawkat Haider, BNP information affairs secretary Azizul Bari Helal, standing committee member Tariqul Islam’s son Sunindra Islam Sumit and executive committee member Hasan Maun, were arrested on Wednesday.

He condemned the arrest and demanded the government release them immediately.