The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday alleged that the government had made the entire Bangladesh a big prison.

He made the remark in a statement protesting against and condemning arrest of the party’s central leaders – vice chairmen Altaf Hossain Chowdhuty and Barrister Shahjahan Omar (Bir Uttam) and organising secretary for Mymensingh division Syed Imran Saheh Prince Saturday evening and early Sunday.

‘Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has now made the entire country a big prison. On one hand, the government’s subservient Election Commission is calling BNP to participate in the next general election, and, on the other hand, a crackdown has started to arrest leaders of all levels, including the senior ones, and activists across the country,’ the BNP leader said.

‘It’s a great joke. Sending the EC letter to the closed office of BNP by the law enforcement agencies is also another joke,’ the BNP leader criticised the government and the Election Commission.

‘Ahead of the next general election, the leaders and activists of the opposition, including BNP, are being arrested. It is now clear that the illegal regime is determined to grab the state power again by holding the next election in any way,’ the BNP leader said.

‘But, this time, the people will not allow the illegal Awami League government’s dreams to be realised,’ he said.

The BNP leader said that the people would not leave the streets and return home without realising their demand for resignation of the government and a election-time neutral government system.