BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said Hero Alam has really become a hero, because the ruling Awami League has also become helpless to him. Using the state machinery, the government defeated Hero Alam in the by-election.

"Their (Awami League) candidate won the by-election by a margin of only 800 votes against Hero Alam. Being defeated by such a less number of votes, Hero Alam raised ballot rigging allegation against the ruling party candidate in the by-election" he said.

Mirza Fakhrul was speaking as the chief guest at a rally organised by BNP at its Nayapaltan central office premises in the capital on Saturday (February 4).

He alleged that Awami League abducted its own candidate to make its own candidate victorious in Brahmanbaria by-election. "Now, it has become the condition of Awami League."

The rally was organised to press home the 10-point demands including bringing an end to repression, torture and suppression on opposition activists, reducing the prices of power, gas and daily essentials, and releasing the opposition leaders and activists unconditionally.

The party held rallies at ten divisional cities on Saturday which began at 2:00pm simultaneously reciting from Holy Quran and playing national anthem and party song.

Terming the government as a "fascist one," the BNP leader said the government has been occupying the power cheating with people.

"We have been saying that a general election cannot be held under an unelected government. We will not take part in any election under the Sheikh Hasina-led government," he said.

Referring to the school textbooks, the BNP leader said the new textbooks introduced by the government are full of mistakes. "This government is constantly trying to destroy our culture. The government wants to make a failed nation destroying everything. They have been receiving hatred from people continuously."

Fakhrul said the opposition's movement is a movement of realising people's rights. "We have been struggling to realise our rights--right to vote, right to live alive and right to freedom of speech. You all fight against this government to realise your rights."

The BNP Secretary General also alleged that the government has destroyed the country's judiciary and executive branches. But, we must have to move forward being imbued with the spirit of the War of Liberation of 1971.

Presided over by Dhaka City South BNP convener Abdus Salam and moderated by member secretary Rafiqul Alam Majnu and Aminul Huque, the rally was also addressed by BNP vice-chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, Ahmed Azam Khan, Chairperson's adviser Aman Ullah Aman, central leader Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Dr Asaduzzaman Ripon, Abdus Salam Azad, Mir Sarafat Ali Shapu, Mir Newaz Ali Newaz, Tabith Awal, Engr Ishraq Hossain, Ishtiaque Aziz Ulfat, Afroza Abbas, Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Monaem Munna, presidents and general secretaries of several district units of BNP in the Dhaka division.