BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the caretaker government was an outcome of the Awami League's demand.

"They enforced hartal on people for as many as 273 days to realise that demand. But, winning in the election, they abolished the caretaker government provision from the constitution and introduced the farcical elections under the party government again," he said while speaking as the chief guest at a rally at Uttara Abdullahpur in the capital on Friday (September 22) afternoon.

"We want to assert it clearly that there will be no election keeping Sheikh Hasina in power and we will never take part in any election under her government," he said.

Dhaka City North BNP organised the rally to press home their one point demand including resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament, election under a non-partisan caretaker government and unconditional release of Khaleda Zia from house arrest.

The BNP Secretary General said the government is saying that the 12th national election would be held according to the constitution. But, which constitution? You yourselves have dissected that constitution. Who had raised the caretaker government issue? It was a demand of Awami League. They imposed 173 days of hartal (general strike) on people to realise that demand. They passed the caretaker government bill with two-third majority in parliament. Then four general elections were held in Bangladesh. No question was raised about a single general election. But, the Awami League which came to power winning the two-third majority had suddenly abolished the caretaker government provision. Then they introduced the farcical election under party government.

"I want to make it clear that Sheikh Hasina government abolished the caretaker government provision from the constitution undermining the opinion of the country's people and has introduced the process of election under the party government. But, they did not take any opinion from the people of this country," he regretted.

The BNP Secretary General said Tareque Rahman has been sent to exile implicating in false cases. His wife Dr Zubaida does not do politics, but she was given three years' jail. There is a reason behind it. If the BNP leaders and workers can be punished for more than three years, they will become unfit to take part in the election. "This is a coward government. It has become afraid of everyone which wants to keep the opposition out of election punishing through the lower tier of judiciary adopting a shrewed policy," he said.