The ruling Awami League has made democracy of Bangladesh invisible by scraping the voting rights of people, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman said in a message marking the international day in support of victims of torture.

"Democracy is now imprisoned in Bangladesh, terrible misrule is going on here. A culture of fear and apprehension has been created across the country in cases of disappearances, assassinations, crossfires and disappearances. Dummy government of Awami League has trampled the constitution and oppressed people to hold the power in illegal means,” Rahman, who lives in London on exile for over a  decade, said in a message.

Tarique Rahman said that Bangladesh has turned into an autocratic state with narrowing space for freedom of expression.

“There is no freedom of speech in Bangladesh. Freedom of the press has been usurped by brute force. The murder of journalists and the brutal torture of numerous journalists has become commonplace. Newspapers and televisions have been closed one by one so that the voices of the opposition are not heard,” he added.

The exiled Bangladeshi nationalist leader further mentioned that newspapers and television have been closed by enacting black laws one after another.

“And in this sequel, the BNP Chairman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been unjustly sentenced and imprisoned in a bogus case. Even her medical treatment is being illegally obstructed by the autocratic Bangladeshi government,” he said.

Rahman also said that the dummy Awami League government in Bangladesh has kept the entire country speechless.

“When someone went to protest against the undemocratic and intolerant behavior of the government, the law enforcement agencies act as political activities and fired on demonstrators. The pet terrorists of this government are carrying out terrible torture on women and children in different parts of the country without caring about human rights and humanity,” Rahman added.

Tarique Rahman said that the ideal of liberation is democracy and the democracy of Bangladesh is now invisible. “The Awami League-led government is bent on destroying the multi-party system to create a one-party state and society. Seeing the intensity of the unrest among the people, the illegal Awami government has become more reckless in oppressing opposition party leaders and activists, including the BNP, so that the opposition forces lose the ability to raise their heads against the government,” he added.

United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is an international observance held annually on 26 June to speak out against the crime of torture and to honor and support victims and survivors throughout the world.

Tarique Rahman thinks that the significance of this day is immense in the context of the present world including Bangladesh. “Even though nations have gained independence from colonial rule after Second World War, violence and bloodshed have not stopped around the world,” he added.

BNP acting chairman further said that due to conflicts and disputes, common people are being killed and crippled in different countries, the dictatorial ruling groups in different states are full of unlimited anger on their opponents.

The oppressed leader further mentioned that the under the orders of dictatorial rulers, opposition leaders and activists have to suffer years of imprisonment in false cases including disappearances and murders.

“When cruel dictators are in charge of running the state, people are subjected to inhumane vengeance of the state and are oppressed in various ways. The whole world today has advanced in mechanical civilisation but human civilization has not progressed far,” he said.

Tarique Rahman has expressed sympathy to all the oppressed peoples of the world, including Bangladesh, on the United Nations declared International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

“I call for ending all obstacles to obtaining justice for the victims of torture. It is possible to defeat the cruel oppressors and dictators only through the united efforts of all the democratic peoples of the world inspired by a sense of humanitarianism,” he said.