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Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said on Saturday that the Awami League regime used labels such as militancy, communalism, and various other terms to create divisions in society to prolong its authoritarian tenure.

‘But the spirit of harmony can no longer be divided by lines,’ he said while talking to journalists after visiting the Durga Puja mandap of Jagannath Hall at Dhaka University.

He said that to make Durga Puja more beautiful and open, people from all communities were staying up at night to guard the mandaps, ensuring that no conspirators could achieve their goals.

‘In history, there have been periods such as Hindu rule, Buddhist rule, and Muslim rule. Such periods can exist, but there is no particular period for festivals. A festival is a place of great unity and boundless joy.’

He also said, ‘We must remain vigilant so that no one can destroy this space.’

BNP vice-chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu, meanwhile, said that the crisis would intensify as the elections were delayed in the country.

He came up with the remarks while addressing a symbolic protest organised by the Bangladesh Nagarik Adhikar Andolan in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday, demanding an impartial election commission and an announcement of the election roadmap immediately.

Dudu said that democracy should be established as soon as possible.

He also said that if elections were held within a justified time, the elected government would be able to prove its competence in running the country.

Mentioning that people of the country could not exercise their voting rights for a long time, Dudu said, ‘We just want Dr Yunus to tell the nation when the elections will be held. Otherwise, there will be many controversies.’

‘We do not expect that the government will play a role in creating such controversy,’ he added.

‘Working together with political parties can be one of the keys to success of the government. If the distance increases, it can be a risk for the country, for democracy, and for freedom of people,’ Dudu added.