Dhaka: Accusing ruling Awami League 'cadres' of attacking their party's female leaders and activists in Barisal, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said the ruling party has now turned into a 'criminal breeding farm'.

‘Police and the armed cadres of Chhatra League and Jubo League attacked our female leaders, including a female councillor, at Barisal City unit BNP office while observing democracy killing day's programme on January 5, leaving around 50 of them seriously injured,’ he said.

The BNP leader further said, ‘Different forces and Awami cadres have taken the competition of repressing women to the Olympic level under the current regime. It has resorted to repressive acts to eliminate its opponents pampering criminals. It seems that Awami League itself has become a criminal reproduction farm.’

Rizvi came up with the remarks while speaking at a press briefing at BNP's central office in Nayapaltan protesting the denial of permission for their today's scheduled rally at Suhrawardy Udyan.

He slammed Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader for accusing BNP of trying to grab power by ousting the Sheikh Hasina government through a conspiracy, saying it's Awami League, not BNP, assumed office through a plot. ‘Local and international conspirators have put you (AL) in power.’

Protesting the AL leader's allegation, Rizvi also urged Quader to explain how and what type of conspiracy BNP is hatching against the government.

He said Awami League was happy when military ruler HM Ershad took over ousting an elected government. ‘Isn't it part of conspiracy...You had supported the Fakhruddin-Moyeenuddin-led illegal and unconstitutional administration. Were they not conspirators those who support such a regime? The Awami League general secretary should explain it.’

The BNP leader claimed that their party never ever supported any undemocratic and evil forces.

Mentioning that a ruling party leader said no one wearing uniform (Army) will put Khaleda Zia in power, he said, ‘It's a nice comment. But, we've seen you repeatedly supported the people in uniform.’

He said though some people in uniform annihilated democracy, many of them also protected democracy in different countries, including the UK, the USA and France.