Arun Sarkar, Chief Reporter, Sylhet/

The battle to restore democracy started from Sylhet today. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir commented that this war has started against the Awami League government. He said, the great freedom war started from this Sylhet. From there independent Bangladesh was created. Today, the war against the autocratic Awami League government and to bring back democracy started again from this Sylhet.

He said these things at the divisional mass meeting of BNP on Saturday afternoon at Sylhet Alia Madrasa ground. He started his speech around 4:30 pm. The meeting started 3 hours before the scheduled time. The rally was supposed to start at 2 pm but the rally started at 11 am with Quran recitation and prayer. Mirza Fakhrul said, for the last 14 years, this government has turned the country into a bottomless basket. Whatever the government has done will be judged.

The Secretary General of BNP said that there will be no more elections in this country without a caretaker government. Those who elect without a caretaker government will be identified. At the time, he said, this fight is the fight of the people, the right to vote. Expressing his anger, he said that the movement cannot be stopped by murder, disappearance and torture. 35 lakh cases against activists should be withdrawn immediately. Parliament should be dissolved and the government should resign and a non-partisan neutral caretaker government should be installed. Otherwise it will not be allowed to select.

Mirza Fakhrul said that the Sheikh Hasina government has cheated the people. They said that they will provide essential commodities for less money. Rice will be handed over to the people at the rate of 10 taka per kg. Now they are feeding rice at the price of 60-70 taka kg. At present, hungry people are not able to eat rice for two meals. These people are having a hard time. Disoriented people increase the prices of rice, pulses, oil, eggs and other commodities. He said that nothing is safe in the hands of this government.