Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday alleged that the government has staged a drama over the kidnapping of poet and columnist Farhad Mazhar to scare its opponents and critics.

"The government has sent out a message through it (Mazhar incident) that those who raise their voice against it will have to face Farhad Mazhar's fate. It has staged the drama of Farhad Mazhar to intimidate its opponents," said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

He came up with the remarks while speaking at a workers' meeting of BNP's voluntary wing, Jatiyatabadi Swechchasebak Dal, at Nayapaltan Bhasani Bhaban auditorium.

The BNP leader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government are the producer and director of the drama. "We strongly condemn and protest such an act."

He said there is no point of staging such dramas ahead of the next polls as BNP will join it foiling Awami League's evil design to hold it under the current government. "No election will be held under Sheikh Hasina. We advise the ruling party to forget any such dream as the polls will be held under a neutral and supportive administration."

Farhad Mazhar was found in a bus in Jessore on Monday night nearly 18 hours after he went missing since he came out of his residence, 'Haq Garden', at Adabar Link Road.

Mentioning that Mazhar was kidnapped with the signal of the government, Rizvi said his presence at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) protesting the torture on Muslims in India might be a reason for it.

He criticised those who saying Mazhar himself staged the drama. "Why should he stage the drama at his bad time? Even, a crazy person can realise that the sate has the involvement with the kidnapping."