Dhaka: BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday alleged that a reign of terror has been established in Khulna city to ensure the ruling party mayoral candidate’s victory in Tuesday’s election.

‘Our leaders have returned from Khulna as there’s a law that all the outsiders must leave the election areas before 72 hours of the voting. But now a reign of terror has been established there,’ he said.

The BNP leader came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion arranged by Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB) at the Jatiya Press Club demanding proper treatment of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and her release from jail, and protesting the recent attack on Dr Samiul Alam Suhan near Doel Chattar in the capital.

Fakhrul said it is uncertain whether people will be able to cast their votes while their party mayoral candidate is facing obstacles towards carrying out electioneering. ‘What’s the point of joining the election while the state machinery is being used to ensure the victory of the ruling party mayoral candidate?’

He said the Election Commission is saying the atmosphere is conducive to a fair election though BNP leaders and activists are being arrested and harassed, and their party candidate’s probable agents are being intimidated.

The BNP leader said their party wants to join the election as it believes that the election is the only way to change a government. ‘But, a proper election atmosphere must be ensured and our chairperson be released from jail accordingly.’

He alleged that their chairperson has been deprived of her rights of getting bail after unfairly sending her to jail in a ‘false’ case. ‘The country has turned into a failed and terror state as the government has destroyed all the institutions, including the judiciary.’

Fakhrul said their party is facing serious obstacles to reach out to people, hold rallies and political programmes. ‘To whom will we go under such circumstances?’

Referring to the killing of a driver reportedly by law enforcers at Tongi, he said the government has now no control on police.

The BNP leader called upon all political parties to get united taking lessons from the recent national election to Malaysia. ‘We’ve no alternative to forging a national unity with people of all walks of life and religions and political parties to remove the current tyrant government.’

He said though the banking sector was in a good shape during the BNP’s rule under the supervision of late finance minister M Saifur Rahman, it is now in a complete mess due to unabated plundering and mismanagement. ‘The government is responsible for the current dismal scenario in the banking sector.’