BNP’s pushing activists towards violence is deplorable : Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud, also joint general secretary of ruling Awami League, on Monday said that Abdur Rashid, a BNP leader of Panchagarh, hasn't died due to the clash between BNP activists and Police. Rather, he has died in heart attack.
"All deaths are painful. But, Abdur Rashid hasn't died in clash. He was a heart disease patient with a bypass surgery. The death was not happened due to the clash between BNP and Police. He went to join the BNP meeting. But, he became sick before the clash and doctors declared him 'death' after taking to local hospital," he said while exchanging views at his ministry office at Secretariat.
The minister said that the postmortem report of Rashid was received on Sunday. It said that he died in cardiac arrest. The BNP leaders should not turn the incident as a political issue and force the party's activists to create a conflicting situation. The politics of conflict cannot bring welfare for the country. As the politics of conflict never bring welfare in the past, BNP should leave such tendency.
Regarding BNP's announcement to boycott the upcoming polls without caretaker government, Hasan said, "The government doesn't conduct an election. The Election Commission conducts it. After announcement of polls schedule, the government doesn't have authority to transfer an UNO or officer in charge of a police station."
"The government doesn't to get a walkover like the polls of 2018. We want that the upcoming polls will be a participatory one. We want to strengthen country's democracy with a free and fair election. But, it's unfortunate that they don't believe in democracy, because BNP founded in undemocratic way. They know that they are away from the people. That's why, they fear to join the polls. It's not the government's duty to eliminate their fear. We believe that we will achieve landslide victory in free and fair polls," he added.
He said, "We want that BNP joins the election with its full strength to ensure a competitive election. A new government will be formed with a free, fair and competitive election."