The BNP claims that more than 1,000 of the BNP led 20-party alliance leaders and activists have been arrested in the last 24 hours.
“Since Nov 8 when the polls schedule was announced till Friday (Dec 28), 11,506 of our activists have been arrested,” he told the media on Saturday (Dec 29) at the party headquarters in Naya Paltan.
He said that over 900 phantom and false cases have been filed and 177 BNP activists have been arrested under 59 cases on Friday alone.
“I strongly condemn the Awami League’s heinous attacks on the ‘paddy sheaf’ activists, leaders and candidates during the polls campaign,” he said.
Rizvi complained that since Awami League took office in 2009, the BNP has been rained with false cases, arrests and attacks and it has taken a hike since Sep 1 of this year.
He said that the arrests and attacks have increased so much, it is as if the “Illegal autocratic regime was out to curb the fundamental rights and independence of the people right before the polls.”
“The ruling party is forcefully holding on to power,” Rizvi lashed out saying that they have removed all obstacles in their path including the imprisonment of BNP chief Khaleda Zia.
“I have said from the very beginning that Khaleda Zia’s imprisonment was one of the signs of one-sided polls.”
The senior BNP leader called for the activists and supporters of ‘paddy sheaf’ as well as the voters to overcome all obstacles and go to the polling centers to cast their franchise because, “History shows that that the power of the people are enough to defeat the wicked.”