Online Desk: Being annoyed with the BNP’s activities, its leaders from top to bottom are leaving the party, said Awami League Joint General Secretaryand Information and Broadcast Ministet  Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday.

“I have a question to the BNP leaders: why do they do the politics of BNP? The top leader of the party is not allowed to participate in any election whatever it is at union, upazila or national level.”

He made the remarks while talking to journalists at his office at the secretariat on Thursday.

Regarding the King’s parties, Hasan, also Information and Broadcasting Minister, said BNP is the first ‘king’s party’ of the country founded by Ziaur Rahman. “Ziaur Rahman after usurping power formed the BNP through distributing leftovers of power,” he said.

About the recent role of civil society and intellectuals, Dr Hasan said, “We saw different statements of intellectuals with importance. But unfortunately they are silent when the arson attacks are being carried  out on public transports and public property. Many people became victims of the arson attacks.”

He said those subversive activities will be stopped when the conscious people, journalists and civil society would raise their voice against them. But it is regrettably true that the so-called civil society didn’t make any statement against the violence of the BNP-Jamaat, he added.

Dr Hasan said, “I think that the so-called civil society who makes statements from time to time should be identified as opportunists. I would like to urge the journalists to identify them and unmask them.”

Being annoyed with the BNP’s subversive politics, many leaders and workers would leave the party, Hasan Mahmud hoped that the BNP would refrain from such evil politics.

Replying to another query over elections, Hasan said it is not mentioned in the constitution that an election would not be acceptable if a particular political party does not take part in the election.

Many elections were held in Bangladesh in the past where many political parties remained absent, he said, adding even a political party led by a big leader didn’t take part in the 1970’s election. “But there was massive participation of the people and the election was accepted.”

The information minister said the BNP and other political parties didn’t take part in city corporation polls. But, the countrymen took part in those polls, he said.

The festivity among the people has already started centring rhe upcoming polls. So there will be a huge participation of the people in the elections slated on January 7, Hasan Mahmud hoped.