Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday alleged that Awami League has betrayed the Language Movement martyrs and the freedom fighters of the 1971 Liberation War by keeping democracy ‘besieged’ in the country.

Establishing democracy was the main spirit of the Language Movement and the Liberation War. But the current ruling party has restored a one-party rule in the country by trampling the majority’s hopes and aspirations. They’ve kept suppressed people’s justified demands by using the sate machinery,’ said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Speaking at a discussion, he further said, ‘We want to clearly state that they (AL) have betrayed the Language Movement’s spirit and blood scarified for it. At the same time, they betrayed the Liberation War spirit and blood of the freedom fighters.’

BNP arranged the programme at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh marking the Shaheed Dibas and International Mother Language Day, commemorating the supreme sacrifices of golden sons of the soil who scarified their lives on February 21 in 1952 to protect the dignity of their mother tongue Bangla.

Fakhrul called upon all to get united imbued with the Language Movement and the Liberation War spirit to restore democracy and people’s ‘lost’ rights. aBangladesh’s history says it was never possible to suppress people’s justified rights by force and using arms for a long time.’

He said their party wants to see the next general election to be held in a credible and acceptable manner under a neutral administration.

The BNP leader, however, warned that if the government holds another unilateral election deceiving the country’s people, it will not be acceptable both at home and abroad.

BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said the government has destroyed the spirit of the Liberation War and the Language Movement by establishing a ‘one-party’ rule in the country. We didn’t join the Liberation War and Language Movement for it.’

Mentioning that lakhs of people embraced martyrdom, lakhs of women raped while lakhs of people got maimed during the Liberation War, he said the government has dashed their all sacrifices only to cling onto power.

‘We must now take a vow to uphold the spirit of the Liberation War and the Language Movement by restoring democracy.’