BNP now a party of 'thieves, terrorists'

This party (BNP) no longer practise democracy, he said, adding that if it believed in democracy, Tarique Rahman would not get the post of senior joint secretary general because there is no such provision in the BNP constitution.

Oli was speaking at a programme at a community centre at Mohakhali in the city where about 500 leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations led by Abu Bakkar Siddique, president of Dhamrai Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebok Dal, joined the LDP.

Oli also compared BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos and said she had humiliated the freedom fighters by allowing the Razakars to fly the national flag on their cars.

So widespread was the level of corruption perpetrated by former ministers and lawmakers of BNP and its leaders during the five-year tenure of the four-party alliance that it outweighs the corruption of thousand years, Oli said.

He also called on the people not to trust Jamaat-e-Islami, a key partner of the four-party alliance, saying that it issues fatwa (religious edict) only to achieve political gains.

Presided over by LDP leader Abdul Karim Abbasi, the programme was also addressed by Redwan Ahmed, Barrister Ziaur Rahman Khan, Syed Manzur Hossain and Ali Kadar.