Dhaka: BNP on Saturday alleged that the ruling party is celebrating its victory to divert people’s attention from ‘vote rigging’ in the December-30 election.

‘They (AL) are celebrating the victory to hide the moral defeat they suffered in the election as well as to divert people’s attention to a different direction from it,’ said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The BNP further said Awami League is celebrating such a victory which they got through a massive vote robbery.

‘Awami League suffered a serious defeat on December 30 as they’ve got isolated from people,’ he said.

Fakhrul came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after placing a wreath at their party founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave in the city, marking his 83rd birth anniversary.

Fakhrul alleged that Awami League has little respect for democracy though they often talk about democracy.

He also said Awami League had established one-party rule ‘Baksal’ in 1975 banning all the political parties and snatching people’s freedom of expression as the party does not believe in democracy.

Fakhrul said their party founder Ziaur Rahman restored multi-party democracy and people’s freedom of expression.

‘On the birthday of the party founding president, we’re vowing afresh to free democracy and our chairperson Kahleda Zia from jail and bring back home our acting chairman Tarique Rahman and reestablish democracy,’ he said.

Awami League is holding a grand rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the city today to celebrate the massive victory of the party in the 11th parliamentary election.

No Rift in Oikyafront

Although different media are running stories on ‘conflicts’ among Oikyfront leaders, there is no rift in their alliance, claimed the BNP senior leader.

‘Oikyafront and the 20-party are united. We believe the government now in power must be defeated by people,’ Fakhrul said.

Also, there is no misunderstanding among senior leaders of BNP, Fakhrul claimed adding: ‘BNP is as united as it was in the past.’

Earlier, leaders and activists of BNP paid homage to its founder Ziaur Rahman on the occasion of his 83rd birth anniversary.

BNP leaders and activists, led by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, placed wreaths at Zia’s Sher-e-Banglanagar grave around 10 am.

Later, they offered fateha following a special munazat seeking salvation of Zia’s departed soul.