The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday accused the ruling Awami League government of implementing a master plan to eliminate it after the January 7 election.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the allegation during a press briefing at the party’s Naya Paltan central office in Dhaka.

He said, ‘The Sheikh Hasina government is implementing a master plan after the January 7 “dummy” election to wipe out the BNP by not releasing Khaleda Zia and endangering her life without ensuring better medical treatment for her.’

The government is also running a malicious campaign of tarnishing the image of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman through spreading propaganda, he said.

Rizvi said that the ‘dummy’ government once again has targeted the Zia family, as Sheikh Hasina cannot tolerate Tarique Rahman’s successful leadership.

‘They are constantly using the old tricks of propaganda and lies against Tarique Rahman,’ he added.

Having criticised some media houses, Rizvi alleged that publishing unfounded reports against the BNP acting chairman has become a custom with them, which they do just to please Sheikh Hasina.

He expressed surprise that these media houses are completely oblivious of the environment of fear that the Hasina regime has created in which independent journalism is being wiped out from the country

The BNP leader also alleged that Sheikh Hasina systematically avoids the AL leaders’ looting and money laundering to become millionaires overnight, which beats the story of ‘Alif Laila’.

Rizvi also said that a minister alone has more than 350 properties worth two hundred million pounds abroad, while a large part of the country’s wealth has been laundered to Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Europe, Australia, and America.

Sheikh Hasina is using the power of the state to her own advantage and is spreading false propaganda, but people have never been misled by the false propaganda about Tarique Rahman, he said.

Targeting AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, Rizvi said, ‘No matter how loud you shout it is proved to the people that the AL is another name for syndicate and robbery.’

The government has failed to control the market for daily commodities and now they instigate the Chhatra League to attack the Iftar programmes of devout Muslims, he said.

Rizvi said, ‘Whenever the AL came to power, they attacked the religious beliefs and culture of Muslims and oppressed their clerics. And the reason for this is to please their lords.’

He also said that the government’s ministers are attending different programmes at universities, but they banned Iftar parties, which is actually a part of a deep conspiracy.

The AL sometimes uses Islam in their own interest and sometimes throws it away, he added.

Rizvi also said that country’s people have lost their votes, parliament, democracy, and rule of law and now the Muslims, the majority people are losing their culture and values.