Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior leader Moudud Ahmed on Friday said the ruling Awami League is deceiving the nation by marking January-5 as 'democracy's victory day'. 

‘Describing January-5 election day as democracy's victory is nothing but a funny matter. It's a mockery and deception with the nation,’ the party’s standing committee member said.

Speaking at a discussion, he further said, ‘You can now term it democracy's victory day by force, but the history will truly evaluate it when you will quit power as no government is the last one.’

Jatiya Ganatantrik Mancha, a pro-BNP platform, arranged the programme at National Press Club.

Moudud said people neither took part in the January-5 election nor cast their votes in it. ‘This election will remain as a stigma in the history.’

He said it is justified to term January-5 a 'democracy's death day' as around five crore voters could not go to the polling stations on that day as 153 MPs were elected without voting and contesting the polls. ‘It's a rare election in the world's history of polls.’

The BNP leader said people will mark the day as democracy's death day when Awami League will be removed from power.

Accusing the government of destroying all the basic pillars of democracy, he said it is now suppressing people's hopes and aspirations with muscle power, arms and using police and RAB.

Moudud also criticised the government for making delay in giving permission to BNP for holding a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on Saturday. ‘When Awami League and so-called opposition party, Jatiya Party, were allowed to hold rallies at Suhrawardy Udyan, why will BNP be denied to do it? Is it called democracy?’