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Online Desk/

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “Democracy is far from being a civilized social environment.”

Alleging that there is a conspiracy to destroy democracy, he said, “There is a conspiracy to destroy BNP’s 10th rally, to destroy democracy.”

He said these things to the reporters at around 11:15 in Nayapaltan on Thursday. Shortly before this, the police stopped Fakhrul’s car at Nightingale intersection on his way to the BNP central office in Nayapaltan. Then he was turned away by preventing him from going to the office.

At that time, Mirza Fakhrul said to the policemen, ‘I can’t go to my office? How is this?’ The policeman was heard saying, ‘Sorry sir, you are not allowed to go to the BNP office.’

Fakhrul said, ‘This is our office, our property. Why can’t I go?’

The police replied, ‘Maybe it’s your office…. No one is allowed to leave until our crime scene is finished. Bombs were thrown at the police from there. We consider that place as ‘Place of Occurrence’. CID is working on the crime scene.

Later, Mirza Fakhrul told the journalists present there, ‘I was not allowed to go to the party office. A condition of a democratic country is that political parties can conduct their normal activities. If a Secretary General cannot go to his office…. Democracy is far from here, it does not exist in a civilized social environment.

Mirza Fakhrul demanded a fair investigation into the Nayapaltan clashes, the opening of the central office of BNP, the release of the arrested. He said, “I am demanding from the government that the 10th rally should be fair and peaceful.”

Meanwhile, after BNP leaders and activists clashed with the police in Nayapaltan yesterday, there is still a tense atmosphere on Thursday. A large number of policemen are on high alert in front of the party office of BNP.

Barricades set up by the police were seen at Arambagh intersection and Nightingale intersection. No one is allowed to travel through here without verification of identity. Vehicles and common people are not passing in front of BNP central office.

Residents of this region are facing problems in transportation. They said that they are in some fear since the incident yesterday. No offices or shops in Paltan area were seen to open till 9:30 am.

Meanwhile, BNP has announced to hold protest program across the country today.

It may be noted that there is a tension between the government and BNP regarding the venue of the mass meeting on December 10. The party wants to hold a rally in front of the central office in Nayapaltan. And police gave conditional permission to rally in Suhrawardy Udyan. However, BNP is adamant about not holding a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan. However, they agreed to go to Arambagh, National Eidgah as an alternative place. However, the government has been saying that somehow BNP will not be allowed to hold a rally on the road. If they want an open field as an alternative to Suhrawardy, it will be given. A clash took place yesterday in Nayapaltan between the two sides on different poles regarding the venue of the rally. Related sources said that the leaders were adamant about holding a mass meeting in Nayapaltan on Saturday even in the BNP Standing Committee meeting last night.