Dhaka: Voicing concern over the growing incidents of child killing, Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday said it demonstrates that the country's law and order situation has collapsed.  

‘So far, as I know, about 40 children have been killed recently. What brutal and cruel incidents these are! Killing of children in such a manner exposes how much the law and order situation deteriorated in Bangladesh,’ said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's grave along with leaders and activists of newly announced full-fledged committee of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD).

Fakhrul said a suffocating situation has been created across the country due to the government's repressive policy. ‘This unelected current regime has snatched all the democratic rights, rights of association and freedom of speech. Now even, we don't get permission for holding rallies.’  

The BNP leader said they have sought permission from the authorities of some venues for holding their sixth national council on 19 March. ‘We still didn't get any positive response from the government. We hope we'll get any place for our council. We also hope good sense will prevail upon the government to ensure a democratic atmosphere in the country.’  

About the upcoming Union Council polls, he said they are working for finalising their party candidates for contesting the election. ‘We'll finalise our candidates at the right time and will be out there in the field, though we're not hopeful about fair balloting.’

Fakhrul also alleged that efforts are on to make Ziaur Rahman controversial with false campaign only to mislead people.

He turned down a ruling party lawmaker's allegation that Zia 'conspired to reunite Pakistan and create a confederation', saying it is a politically motivated allegation. ‘It's unfortunate that they (ruling party) are trying to shift people's focus from the political crisis with such comments.’

He further said, ‘Ziaur Rahman had fought against Pakistani occupation forces for long nine months and received gallantry award Bir Uttam. He was also the real architect of modern Bangladesh and restored democracy here. It's nothing but a politically motivated effort to misrepresent such a person. People won't get confused with it.’

In parliament on Thursday, Awami League lawmaker Mahjabeen Khaled, the daughter of 1971 Liberation War sector commander of Khaled Mosharraf questioned Zia's pre- and post-war activities, saying he had plotted to create a Pakistan Confederation during his visit to that country in 1977.