Dhaka: BNP on Tuesday alleged that killing young BNP leaders and activists is a deep-rooted political motive behind the ongoing growing incidents of extrajudicial killings in the name of a countrywide anti-narcotics drive.

‘The deep-rooted political reason behind the current extrajudicial killing spree in the name of eradicating narcotics is to make target the young opposition leaders and activists and kill them on false charges,’ said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said a Chhatra Dal activist, Amjad Hossain, was killed in a ‘so-called’ crossfire in Netrakona on Monday night as the government has an evil intention behind the anti-narcotics drive.

The BNP leader said he talked to some local people who told him that Amjad was a very good boy, and he was not even a smoker, let alone being a drug addict.

‘No one has the right to kill people unlawfully. It’s not possible to curb crime through enforced disappearances, killings and extrajudicial killings,’ he observed.

Rizvi said the extrajudicial killing in the name of anti-narcotics drive is a new ‘project of the government’ to spread panic among people ahead of the next general election.

The BNP leader said their party is not against the anti-narcotics drive as it wants the offenders to be arrested and brought to justice.

Mentioning hat containing drug abuse is possible through the country’s existing law, he urged the government to enforce laws stopping the extrajudicial killings.

Rizvi also alleged that the law enforcers are only taking action against small fry in their anti-narcotics drive instead of arresting the ‘godfathers of drug trade.

He said the dangerous narcotic drugs spread all over the country in the last nine years of the current government. ‘The big fish like ruling party MP (Abdur Rahman) Bodi are responsible for it.’

The BNP leader questioned as to why the government is not arresting the big fish and taking steps to stop the different channels by which drugs are entering the country from neighbouring ones.

He demanded the government immediately stop killing people in crossfire and launch proper investigations into all the incidents of extrajudicial killings.

Rizvi also urged the local and international rights bodies, media and civil society members to be vocal against enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killings.