Minorities were not tortured during the BNP regime, said party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He made the remarks during a media call at the BNP headquarters in Naya Paltan after police barred the party from bringing out a Human Rights Day rally on Tuesday (Dec 10).
“Interest of minorities was reserved during BNP tenure. Rather, it was violated unprecedentedly during the incumbent regime,” he said.
He strongly condemned the Indian lawmakers’ comments in the parliament that minorities were tortured during the BNP government and Bangladeshi Muslims entered India illegally during that time.
“We had announced a rally on the occasion of World Human Rights Day. However, police told us not to leave the party office,” Fakhrul said.
“The rallies to protect human rights were supposed to be held worldwide regardless of party politics,” he added.
The party’s Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, “They [administration] aren’t letting us hold even a peaceful rally for human rights.”

Meanwhile, law enforcers beefed up surveillance in front of the BNP headquarters from Tuesday morning.
“The traffic is piling up on the capital during a regular working day. Moreover, BNP doesn’t have permission to hold rally,” Dhaka Metropolitan Police Motijheel Zone Deputy Commissioner Enamul Hauqe said.
He added that legal steps would be initiated if they bring out a rally.