<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas has said that ruling Awami League (AL) retains power by killing people.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>AL is using state apparatus to kill the taxpayers, alleged the BNP leader.</div><div><br></div><div>He made the comments in a financial grant giving programme organised by BNP for the families of two deceased Jubo Dal leaders- Shamim Mollah from Mugdha Thana Unit and Abdur Rashid from Adabar Thana Unit.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Shamim Mollah was killed during October 28 grand rally while Abdur Rashid on October 29 during Hartal.</div><div><br></div><div>The grant-giving programme on behalf of BNP Acting Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman was held at party Nayapaltan Central office on</div><div>Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>Mirza Abbas said about 15,000 leaders and activists of BNP had been killed by AL, making a lot of children orphans and families helpless.</div><div><br></div><div>He said AL destroyed BNP’s October 28 grand rally as part of their plan which included local and international conspiracy groups so that BNP could not participate in the parliament polls.</div><div><br></div><div>AL started arresting BNP leaders and activists 18 months before October 28 mass rally, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>"They were even continuously threatening our senior leaders showing fear about jail before the 28 October programme," he alleged.</div><div><br></div><div>Mirza Abbas said the people of the country had responded to Tareque Rahman's urges by boycotting the January 7 staged dummy election, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Before January 7 election Tarique Rahman requested people to refrain from casting their vote for AL.</div><div><br></div><div>BNP Standing Committee member said it is not new for AL to kill people. During 1974-1975 period, AL government had killed about 24-25 thousand people, he said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>