Hasnat Abdullah, chief organizer of the National Citizens Party (NCP) for the southern region, said many BNP leaders and workers want to be free from extortion. He explained that leaders issue orders for extortion, which the grassroots workers are forced to carry out, while many ordinary party members are not involved in such activities.
He made these remarks during an election rally in Jessore on Saturday, February 7.
Hasnat Abdullah said that over the past 17 years, numerous BNP leaders and workers have faced persecution, harassment, and enforced disappearances, leaving them marginalized. He added that the “hybrid BNP” has sidelined the original party members.
According to NCP, ordinary BNP supporters who follow Zia’s philosophy and support Khaleda Zia are not involved in extortion. They are waiting to vote for a united Bangladesh. He urged people to reach out to them, noting that while these voters may join party rallies symbolically, they intend to cast their votes for the Daripalla-Shapla coalition.
Hasnat Abdullah also said that Bangladesh is divided into two camps: one supporting oppression, the other aiming to strip women of their modesty, while some are prepared for subservience to India. He emphasized that the country stands at the threshold of liberation and that a “silent revolution” has already taken place.
He added that people are telling NCP volunteers that on February 12, they will vote for the Daripalla-Shapla coalition. Farmers and laborers live in fear: if corrupt officials and tender manipulators return, their businesses will suffer, forcing them to pay bribes to live normally. That is why people want to be free from extortion. Abdullah urged party workers to visit voters door to door, emphasizing that the vote is with the people, not just the candidate.
