Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan on Monday said that the government would not be able to suppress the people’s demand for a change in power.

‘Common people have woken up and they’re joining our movement as they want a change in power. No one could suppress people’s demands for ages. This government will not be able to do it either,’ he said.

Nazrul came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion meeting organised by the Muslim League at the Jatiya Press Club on the occasion of its bi-annual council.

He said that people wanted that change for peace, welfare and prosperity.

Nazrul said that though the government killed around 13 BNP leaders and activists and arrested many party leaders and activists over the last three months, every programme of their party was held successfully with the participation of a huge number of people.

The BNP leader recalled that most leaders of the Awami League were sent to jail during the 1969 movement while an unknown leader named Amena Begum ran the party.

‘Awami League won the election after that movement. So, it’s not the correct idea that the movement cannot be won, and power cannot be gained if the opposition leaders are kept in jail,’ he observed.

Stating that the government is making a mistake by staying in power by force, the BNP leader said, ‘They (AL leaders) are repeating the same mistakes despite knowing it. Does power make people so blind? All political parties go through good times and bad times like human life. We hope the ruling party will understand this.’

Nazrul said that democracy was established through elections, but the current government had destroyed the electoral system.

He also alleged that the government was making fun of the people by claiming to be an elected regime after usurping power by rigging votes and stuffing ballots at night.

The BNP leader said that a polls-time non-party neutral government must be installed to restore people’s voting rights and to create a scope for them to freely choose their representatives as per their wish.

Nazrul said that the ruling party leaders were indulging in widespread corruption and plundering in the name of development and mega projects.

‘Development should happen for everyone. But about 13/14 thousand new millionaires have been created in our country over three to four years. One can see it as progress. But it is also the fact that 35 million to 40 million people have become poorer at the same time,’ he said.