File photo.

People are falling victim to forced disappearance or killing whenever they speak out against the government, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday.

He also said the government had relinquished democracy and human rights and was using state machineries to stay in power.

He made the remarks while addressing a human chain of BNP before Jatiya Press Club marking Human Rights Day.

“The overall situation appears that the government has made democracy and human rights disappear from the country,” Fakhrul said.

Family members of those who went missing or disappeared were also present at the event alongside BNP activists.

Fakhrul said many people including university teacher, former diplomat, businessmen, and journalist were still missing, and their families were waiting for their safe return.

Claiming that his party is being denied space in politics, Fakhrul said no election friendly atmosphere would be created if the trend continued.

Meanwhile, BNP  leader Moudud Ahmed at a discussion said Awami League would have to leave power if it failed to prove the allegations of money laundering by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The government is trying to divert people's attention from national crises by bringing allegations against Khaleda, he said.

At a press conference on Saturday, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader accused Khaleda and her elder son Tarique Rahman of "investing around $12 billion in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries".

The previous day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also came up with allegations of laundering money by Khaleda to Saudi Arabia.