Government clings to power using state machinery: Fakhrul

Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday alleged the government clings to power forcibly by using state machinery and destroying democracy.

Addressing a discussion at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh marking the 41st founding anniversary of the party’s associate organisation of youths, Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, he termed the government as an autocratic one and said it was also destroying the country’s independence and sovereignty.

The BNP leader said the prime minister had no achievement in the conference of Non-Aligned Movement. ‘We heard that she had meetings on the side-lines of the conference. But we do not know about the outcome.’

‘Not a single Rohingya could be sent back to their homeland in two years. Now Assam’s political leaders are saying that the 19 lakh people dropped from their National Register of Citizens are Bangladeshis and would be sent to Bangladesh. We are yet to hear any word from the government about this,’ he said.

‘We clearly want to say that no Bangladeshi went to India illegally after 1971,’ he said.

Mentioning some ruling Awami League leaders’ claim that people were with them and the February 15, 1996 election was a one-sided one, Fakhrul said no people voted them to power in December 30, 2018 elections but the February 15, 1996 elections were held to allow the provision of caretaker government.

‘You are claiming that people are with you. So, now step down, handover power to a neutral government and hold a free and fair election to examine whether people are with you,’ he said.

About Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University authorities’ Monday press conference where they claimed that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s health had improved, Fakhrul alleged BSMMU authorities were resorting to falsehood about Khaleda’s health Zia and asked them to inform the exact condition of her health. ‘She should be given bail. She deserves bail. It is her legal right,’ he said.

The BNP leader termed the on-going drives against casinos and illegal money which the government terming ‘corrective drive’ mere an eyewash.

BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said Khaleda should not be released on parole as such a release would be ‘disgraceful’ for uncompromising democratic leader like Khaleda.

He suspected some people within BNP might act as agents. ‘I guess that there might some people in us had been assuring prime minister Sheikh Hasina that they would be able to manage Khaleda Zia to accept release on parole.’

Presided over by Juba Dal president Saiful Alam Nirab, the discussion was also addressed, among others, by BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas, vice-chairman Barkat Ullah Bulu, joint-secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and Juba Dal general secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku.

In Sylhet, BNP vice-chairman AZM Zahid Hossain addressing the Sylhet district meeting as the chief guest at a city restaurant, alleged a deep-rooted conspiracy was on against Khaleda.

BNP chairperson’s adviser Tahsina Rushdir Luna, MA Haque, Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, its Sylhet divisional organising secretary Shakhawat Hasan Jiban and assistant organising secretary Dildar Hossain Selim and Kalim Uddin Ahmad Milon also spoke in the meeting presided over by Sylhet district BNP convener Kamrul Huda Zaygirder.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net