A video clip of opposition supporters lobbing bricks at police and Awami League activists has been widely circulated from BNP’s verified Facebook page in a brazen attempt to instigate nationwide violence to bring down Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
“In face of retaliation from our leaders and activists, Awami League supporters have fled”, reads the caption of the video-clip, which has been shared aggressively by BNP and Jamaat supporters .
Many questioned the BNP’s intent to “grab power through violence”.
However, some BNP supporters have commended this post with some even asking others to emulate this form of violence by taking a cue from it.
“Bravo we are solders of Gen Zia”,
“Let’s attack Awami League and police in the name of our fugitive leader Tarique Rahman”, reads some comments under the post from BNP’s page.
In reference to an earlier references on the party’s volunteer wing secretary calling for a “repeat of 1975″, one user said: “Nothing more can be expected from the party”.
The attempt to instigate nationwide violence comes after a call by BNP and its radical ally Jamaat to boycott the election and overthrow the government through violent agitations.
Awami League in its verified page described this BNP video as a “new form of cyber terrorism”.
In reference to the worst bout of violence the country witnessed after BNP and Jamaat boycotted the election in 2013, some commented “It’s clear that BNP Jamaat are up for violence this time also as the party announced to foil the polls”.
Calling the party as anti Bangladesh, one wrote “under its founder Gen Ziaur the country witnessed at least 19 coups while under Tarique, the party is on a overdrive to topple this government “.
“Like father like son”, one commented linking the anti state policies pursued by Gen Zia, later his wife Begum Zia and now under Tarique Rahman”.
Pointing to the reign of terror unleashed in the last tenure of BNP Jamaat back in 2001 and 2006, one wrote ” from series bomb attacks, to targeted killing of progressive thinkers, writers, journalists and also progressive politicians with copious media reports detailing involvement of Tarique and his handpicked junior home minister notoriously known as crime to crown Lutfuzzaman Babar, now serving in jail for his crimes”.
Some even said “Tarique should not return in the country”.
Gen Zia was reportedly involved in the gruesome assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahaman while his son Tarique has been found guilty over the grisly attempt on Sheikh Hasina’s life, known as 21st grenade attack in 2004″.