Staff Correspondent

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has alleged that prisons have now become permanent addresses for many BNP leaders and activists as they have been imprisoned for months without any reason.

The government is depriving many leaders of the party of fresh air and day light by throwing them into prisons, he said. Rizvi said it at a sit-in programme in front of the National Press Club organised by Zia Projanmo Dal (ZPD) demanding the release of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and other imprisoned leaders.

"Top BNP leaders like the secretary general, standing committee members, vice- chairman, join secretary general have suffered prison terms for three-four month before their release recently," he alleged.

Sheikh Hasina's policy to imprison BNP leaders and activists has not finished yet, he charged.

The PM, he said, is afraid of BNP and knows that there is no popular support for her.

A government lacking support of the people turns autocratic, Rizvi said adding, it suppresses the people when they raise their voice for rights.

"They resort to all means of suppression such as imprisonment, making 'Ayana Ghar for torture, use law enforcement agencies to kill opponents and use party cadres to thrash the oppositions," said the BNP leader.

The Awami League government imprisoned 25 to 26 thousand BNP leaders and activists before January 7 dummy election, he claimed.

A large number of BNP men still remains in prison while a few walked out after serving 3-4 months jail terms, he said.

Rizvi said does the government has any honest answer as to why so many BNP members are being put in jail.

The prime minister is doing this only to retain her illegally gained state power, he alleged.