BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Sunday said a 'do or die' movement is needed with the determination to hit back against the Awami League government to ‘restore’ democracy in the country.
“We didn’t think that we would return to our mothers when we took part in the Liberation War in 1971. Many didn’t return. The character of the current government is worse than the Pakistanis. So, we need another war for democracy,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader urged his party colleagues to consider their ongoing movement as a war for democracy. “So, we have to stay on the streets with the determination to hit back if we’re hit anywhere.”
Gayeshwar, a BNP standing committee member, said mothers got consolation getting the country’s independence by losing their children in 1971.
“If we can restore democracy and people's ownership of the country, mothers who have lost their children, wives who have lost their husbands and those who have lost their brothers in the struggle for democracy, will find solace and then our sacrifice of blood, facing cases and suffering imprisonment will be fruitful,” he observed.
The BNP leader also said their all sacrifices will go in vain and no one will show sympathy to them if they fail to make their movement a success this time.
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Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Projonmo 71, a pro-BNP platform, arranged the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, marking its 17th founding anniversary.
Gayeshwar said people are going through serious ordeal due to unbridled price hikes of daily essentials. ”The commodity prices will continue to increase every day as the government is doing what is needed to push up the prices.”
Under the circumstances, he said their party needs to work out programmes to ensure the fall of the government. “We’re committed that we won’t participate in elections under this government to be conducted by the current Election Commission.”
The BNP leader also said their party must remain strict to its position this time that they will not join any polls without having Khaleda Zia freed unconditionally.
He also said people are getting confused as a quarter is spreading a rumour that BNP will go to polls under the current government without Khaleda Zia as the party did in 2018. “But we have to remove this confusion by intensifying our street movement.”