Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday alleged that it is now the uniformed people, not Awami League, are running the government.

“Now uniformed people are controlling everything as the government is now run by them, not by Awami League. That’s why political thoughts are not working here,” he told a discussion.

Dhaka city unit Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa) arranged the programme at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU).

Voicing concern over ‘growing’ attacks on journalists, Fakhrul said journalists and politicians never faced such a situation under any other previous governments the way they are now being repressed, harassed and insulted.

He alleged that most TV channels and newspapers now cannot present true information in fear of reprisal by the ‘fascist regime’.

The BNP leader said the government is not allowing the media to work independently and suppressing the freedom of expression to cement the one-party rule.

Referring to the death of Sirajganj journalist Abdul Hakim Shimul after being hit by stray bullets during a ruling Awami League infighting, he said it is the fresh example of violence against journalists in the country. “The Sirajganj journalist embraced martyrdom.”

Fakhrul also alleged that a Savar journalist was tortured on remand two weeks back by implicating him in a false case for making reports on RMG workers’ right.

He also said the government having failed to face its opponents politically has resorted to false cases to harass and repress them.

The BNP leader said though their party chairperson has expressed her no confidence in Dhaka Special Judge Court-3, the court is carrying out the proceedings of the case by force.

“The day the hearing on the case is held (in the court) the entire area (Bakshibazar) looks like a war field. The way huge Rab, police, armed police are deployed and water canons and prison vans are kept around the court, it seems the world’s most notorious terrorists is being taken there. What kind of politics it is. What type of respect it is for democracy,” he deplored.

Fakhrul urged the government not to insult a three-time Prime Minister of the country in such a way.

He warned that the government will not be able to suppress its opponents and gag their voice by repressive acts. “I want to clearly state that you won’t able to stop us from raising our voice and doing our political duties, even by giving us death penalty. We’ll continue our fight for democracy and raise our voice.”