BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has alleged that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, like her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, attempted to reintroduce a one-party system in Bangladesh. In a statement, he claimed that both leaders pursued their true ideological goal of one-party rule by enforcing various draconian laws to suppress journalists and the media. Tarique further said that it was later President Ziaur Rahman who restored multi-party democracy in the country, abolishing the autocratic laws of the BAKSAL regime and reestablishing press freedom. He argued that although the fall of the fascist regime on August 5 allowed partial media freedom, the press is still not entirely free from authoritarian forces. Ensuring full press freedom, he said, is essential to safeguard democracy and its permanence.