Dhaka: BNP on Wednesday alleged that the ruling party has resorted to propaganda and rumours to hide the repressive acts against demonstrating students seeking road safety.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also said even the Election Commission cannot guarantee that there will be no anomaly during the next general election as the ruling party has destroyed the atmosphere for fair polls, reports the UNB.

‘Obaidul Quader and his party colleagues are making confusing remarks and resorting to rumours to hide repressive acts against students in a superficial way,’ he said.

The BNP leader said the ruling party leaders have also indulged in a foul campaign against BNP using the media they own. ‘They’ve resorted to evil tactics to involve BNP with the student movement.’

Rizvi said the Daily Janakantha published a photograph on August 6 with a caption how a ‘Chhatra Dal activist indulged in violence during the student movement’.

‘But it’s a photograph of Chhatra League’s intra-party clash which was published in another Bangla daily Bhorer Kagoj six years back on January 25, 2012. The government’s propaganda machine is working round the clock to spread slander against BNP leaders and activists to confuse people,’ he added.

The BNP leader alleged that the Daily Janakantha spread the rumour against BNP being instigated by the government. ‘We condemn it.’

Rizvi said people saw how 22 private university students were taken on remand by tying their backs with a rope on Tuesday. ‘It’s tantamount to lashing rope in the backs in the entire student community. It’s shameful for the nation and people are denouncing it watching the footage.’

He also said it is one of the worst examples of the government’s brutal act to suppress the students’ justified movement and hang onto power.

The BNP leader demanded the government immediately release the private university students cancelling the remand.