BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas has said that all members of the Awami League will vote for a patriotic party in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.

He made the remark on Tuesday (4 November) at a discussion and prayer meeting held at the BNP’s Nayapaltan office in the capital, marking the sixth death anniversary of valiant freedom fighter and former mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

Addressing Jamaat-e-Islami, Mirza Abbas said, “Those who did not want Bangladesh are now seeking to govern it. They are dividing the nation in the name of religion and attempting to rehabilitate autocracy. They believe the Awami League’s votes will go to them, but every Awami League member will vote for a patriotic party.”

The BNP leader criticised the current state of governance, saying, “The situation in the country is such that no one knows who is running it. There is no owner of the country; everyone is just talking about reforms. But what reforms have they done? Unemployment is rising, the pressure of population in Dhaka is increasing, and footpath shops are multiplying — yet the government has no focus on these issues.”

Referring to the government, he added, “‘Turn everything upside down, let’s grab and loot’ — a certain group is planning to plunder the country after creating chaos.”

Mirza Abbas further claimed that the current government is surviving on the support of two parties — one of its own creation and another old one. “They do whatever they are told. Where is their public base? Whatever they said about the election symbol has been done accordingly,” he said.

He also expressed concern that the government might resort to illegal measures to ensure victory for these parties. “The interim government might do something similar to the Awami League’s midnight voting. Everyone must remain alert,” he cautioned.

Regarding BNP nominations, the senior leader said, “The nominations have been well considered. Some have been hurt or disappointed, but Tarique Rahman has made the decisions thoughtfully. We have embarked on a long electoral journey, and everyone must work together in unity to ensure the party’s victory.”