Banning any political party not a solution

Banning any political party is not the solution to problems, as people themselves eliminate any party that goes against their interests, said BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy yesterday.

"No problem is ever solved by banning political parties. Rather, by changing the mentality of society and ensuring the rule of law, people decide who is acceptable or prohibited," he said at a discussion meeting.

The 12-Party Alliance, a coalition led by BNP and other like-minded parties, organised the programme at Jatiya Press Club, demanding the removal of any obstacles to BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman's return to Bangladesh and ensuring maximum security for him.

Gayeshwar said the Muslim League was the main architect behind the creation of Pakistan.

"But now, it's difficult to find any trace of its existence," he said.

He mentioned that the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) was once a major political force after the country's Liberation War in 1971, but it has splintered into several factions.

The BNP leader said many other parties have also "lost their existence" after being rejected by the people. "Those who take a stand against the people become eliminated naturally."

Gayeshwar said if people believe the Awami League is poisonous for the country and democracy, then they will reject it.

Apparently, opposing the ongoing movement seeking a ban on the Awami League, he asked, "Is there any guarantee that those who want to ban the Awami League now will not want to ban the BNP in a few days?"

The BNP leader alleged that those responsible for the 1/11 political changeover in 2007 are now pulling the strings of the interim government from behind the scenes.

He also claimed that former president Abdul Hamid could not have travelled abroad without the government's approval.  Gayeshwar also said it is not believable that the former president crossed immigration without the government's consent.