Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon all to stay united and protect Bangladesh from the clasps of the evil forces, saying BNP does not want elections but looks forward to creating an abnormal situation in the country.

"They [BNP] want to push Bangladesh into an unstable situation again. So, all have to remain alert," she told a community reception accorded to her organised by the expatriate Bangladeshis in Italy at her place of residence in Rome yesterday.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, sought votes for her party's electoral symbol "boat" in the next general elections, saying AL will have to come to power in building "Smart Bangladesh".

She alleged that the BNP doesn't want election; rather it wants to create an abnormal situation in the country.

"The election will definitely be held as per the constitution. BNP knows that the people will not vote for them. So, BNP wants to destabilise the country. Why would the people go to vote for those who were driven out due to vote-rigging?" she added.

Sheikh Hasina questioned how BNP could seek votes after killing people through arson violence?

"They [BNP] don't want election. They lick the legs of some of their foreign lords and they want the people of the country to [be made to] suffer by them [the foreign lords]," she said. "They want to hamper the ongoing development trend in the country."

The prime minister reminded all that BNP never wants welfare of the countrymen; they want to create an unstable situation in Bangladesh.

Referring to sanctions on some Rab officials and announcement of visa restrictions by the USA, the premier said, "Sanction is imposed on them, by whom, we've curbed terrorism and militancy. We can't understand its mystery."

Mentioning that those, who had not supported the Liberation War want to play games with Bangladesh in various ways now, she said, "The players can't be allowed to play."

She went on saying that the people of the country will have to remain united to thwart any bad intention.

Making call to the expatriate Bangladeshis to send remittance through legal channels, Sheikh Hasina also requested them to search foreign partners to invest in Bangladesh, particularly in its ICT sector, food processing industry and small industry.

She also urged the expatriates to abide by the laws of their host countries and discourage the overseas jobseekers to migrate to the foreign countries through illegal channels.

The BNP has claimed that its allegation of “vote robbery” in the December 30 national election has now been proved to be true with the CEC's comment that the use of EVMs can prevent stuffing of ballot boxes the night before an election.

“The chief election commissioner has said the risk of stuffing ballot boxes the night before the voting will be reduced if EVMs are introduced. The truth about the election has started to emerge,” BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference at the BNP's Nayapaltan central office, he said Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda could not hide the truth for long. “The CEC's slip of tongue has revealed the truth regarding the midnight election. His remark has demonstrated that the election was held at midnight as EVMs were not used.”

Addressing a training workshop of election officials at the city's Nirbachan Bhaban on Friday, the CEC had said the Election Commission was planning to use electronic voting machines to make sure that ballot boxes could not be stuffed on the night before an election.

Since the national election, the BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront have been accusing the Awami League of carrying out “vote robbery” by stuffing ballot boxes on December 29 midnight.

Stating that snatching people's voting rights was tantamount to robbery, Rizvi said the CEC “committed a serious offence by holding a midnight election only to keep the current government in power illegally”.

“Your [CEC] remarks will remain as an important document to people about how a chief election commissioner allowed stuffing ballot boxes at midnight in a national election, depriving people of their voting rights.”

The BNP leader questioned whether the CEC allowed the ruling party to stuff ballot boxes on the night of December 29 to justify the use of EVMs that were procured by spending crores of public money.

Rizvi warned the CEC that he would have to be accountable to people some day for the midnight voting.

He said the CEC was trying to use EVMs in the election as spending crores of taka was involved in it. “No machine is required for ensuring a fair election, as only sincerity and commitment to democracy is enough for it.”

Not only the CEC, but also an election commissioner carelessly talked about the midnight voting as the truth cannot be hidden, the BNP leader added.

Rizvi voiced deep concern as ailing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was yet to be taken to hospital for treatment.

He demanded the government shift her to United Hospital for ensuring her proper treatment.

The BNP wants to make a final push to realise its demand for holding the next general election under a neutral caretaker administration only after the top brass finds the party's Dhaka city units fully prepared for an all-out movement.

Insiders said the BNP was successful in staging massive protests in the last few months despite various obstacles from the ruling party and administration. It all has fuelled enthusiasm among leaders and activists who now can't wait anymore for the final phase of the movement.

But the party high-ups were not satisfied with the performance of the Dhaka city leaders on the last two occasions -- the December 10 Dhaka rally and January 11 mass sit-ins.

These issues were on the agenda in the BNP standing committee meeting, the highest policymaking body of the party, on Thursday night, when the leaders discussed in detail the future course of action and analysed the two big events.

Party's acting chairman Tarique Rahman virtually chaired the meeting where they also talked about the arrest of Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Mirza Abbas and the police raid on the party's Nayapaltan headquarters.

Contacted yesterday, standing committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy said the movement has already begun and gradually it will be intensified. "Our movement will continue till the goal is achieved. The intensity of the movement will increase and at some point, success will come."

Sources said the meeting discussed Dhaka city north BNP Convener Aman Ullah Aman's comment that Bangladesh will be run under the leadership of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia after December 10.

"Things got complicated after his (Aman's) statement. The party must seek an explanation from him why he made such a comment," said another standing committee member, wishing not to be named, adding that Tarique asked Fakhrul to look into it.

Meeting sources said a few members questioned Aman's loyalty to the party especially because he secured bail the day after he was arrested from the party office on December 7.

Aman, as the party's Dhaka north unit convener, was supposed to preside over the Nayapaltan sit-in on January 11.  But he took the role of the moderator while standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain was in the chair.

Before this, a rumour spread that the Dhaka city north BNP would be dissolved. Tarique even particularly wanted to see the presence of the unit leaders and activists in the sit-ins.

When Mirza Abbas was addressing the audience during the Nayapaltan event, a central leader showed Tarique the presence of Dhaka north BNP leaders and activists through a video call.

The meeting also discussed the formation of "Samomona Ganatantrik Jote", which came into being with 15 organisations at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.

A standing committee member asked Tarique how can such an alliance can be formed right at the chairperson's office when the party is focusing on simultaneous movement. 

Referring to Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader's mockery that 54 parties are against Sheikh Hasina and it seems 54 horses will lay 54 eggs, the BNP leader said, "It needs to be known who was behind that sudden initiative [ the alliance of 15]."

Currently, the 54 political parties and organisations are waging a simultaneous movement demanding election under a non-party interim government, BNP leaders say. 

When the alliance of 15 organisations was announced, BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku was there.

At Thursday's meeting, Tuku was present but another senior leader said the whole issue was orchestrated by Aman.

Then Mirza Fakhrul said, "Who gave Aman this authority?"

Aman could not be reached over the phone despite repeated attempts.

This correspondent contacted three other standing committee members about the issues but they declined to say anything on record.

Women in Noakhali-4 and Chattogram-2 constituencies alleged that ruling party men barred them from casting votes and harassed them physically.

In Noakhali-4, in front of Kallyan Pouro High School in Sadar, ruling party men barred a few women around 8:30am, our correspondent reports.

“The men told us that they will only let us cast our votes to Awami League,” the women said. “They also scuffled with us to not let us vote.”

In Chattogram-2 constituency, at Moddho Doulotpur Government Primary School polling centre of Fatikchori area, around 20-30 women alleged that ruling party men were bothering them as they were waiting in line to cast votes around 11:00 am.

“They also tried to bar us from getting out of our homes, but we managed to reach the centre, and tried to drive us away,” one of the voters said.

The Daily Star is not revealing the names of any of the voters because of their security.