BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said, considering the current government, 'autocrat Ershad' was not even so bad.
The BNP leader also alleged that the 'repression and cruelty' of the current government have outshined autocrat HM Ershad's rule.
Fakhrul came up with the remarks at a discussion at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Wednesday, marking the Fall of Autocracy Day.
"At least they (Ershad-led government) had courtesy that they didn't open fire on the public rallies," he said.
Fakhrul said the government has long been seriously repressing BNP leaders and activists and sending them to jail implicating them in false cases.
"No one is now safe in the country. You (government) have distorted the history and obliterated people's democratic rights," he added.
According to UNB, the BNP leader called upon the government to arrange a dialogue for finding out an effective way for holding the next election in a fair and credible manner.
"There's still time that we can fulfill the hopes and aspirations of people through talks," he added.