Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the reason for the death of BNP leader Abdur Rashid near the mass procession of the party in Panchagarh on Saturday was a heart attack, not a clash with police.

“BNP leaders should not push workers towards conflict,” he said while exchanging views with journalists at the ministry meeting room at the Secretariat here.

Mentioning that any death is sorrowful, Hasan, also Awami League Joint General Secretary, prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul.

“He was a cardiac patient. He underwent bypass surgery. He came to BNP procession, but he collapsed in front of a mosque before the beginning of the clash with police and on-duty doctors declared him dead after he was taken to hospital,” he said.

The minister said an autopsy report that came on Sunday revealed that Abdur Rashid died of a cardiac arrest.

“But BNP always push their activists towards conflict, which is not a good thing. This kind of politics will not bring any welfare for the country and even it didn’t benefit the party so far. BNP should refrain from such politics,” he said.

About BNP’s repeated remarks that they will not take part in the election under the incumbent government, he said the government doesn’t conduct elections rather Election Commission conducts elections.

After the announcement of the election schedule, the government doesn’t have the jurisdiction to transfer even an Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) or officer-in-change (OC) of any police station, he mentioned.

“We want that the country’s democracy becomes stronger through a participatory, fair and proper election. It is sorrowful but true that BNP doesn’t believe in democracy,” he said adding that BNP was born in an undemocratic way.

Hasan said BNP knew that they have gone far away from the people and that is why they fear to take part in polls.

But it is neither the duty of Awami League nor the government to remove their fear, he said.