Dhaka, Aug 20 (UNB) – Branding the current government as a ‘fraud’ one, BNP on Tuesday alleged it is ‘plundering’ public money from every sector like Bargis, a group of Maratha soldiers who had indulged in large scale plundering of people’s wealth during the 18th century.

“This government has become a completely fraudulent one. It’s a government for the looters, by the looters and of the looters, as there’s nothing, but plundering everywhere,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Speaking at a discussion, he further said, “From the grassroots to the upper level of the regime is involved with plundering. If you talk to people both in rural and urban areas, investors and bankers, you’ll get an idea about how looting is going on everywhere.”

Nationalist Research Centre, a pro-BNP body, arranged the programme titled ‘My Country, My Industries’ at the Jatiya Press Club.

Fakhrul alleged that ruling party men are ‘looting’ from the TR and Kabikha projects to mega ones and distributing the ill-gotten money among the Awami League leaders and activists. “Once Bargis used to plunder people’s wealth, now the ruling party men and their cohorts are doing nothing, but looting.”

To get rid of the current situation of the country and ‘restore’ democracy, he said ‘patriot’ leader Khaleda Zia must be freed from jail and a government with people’s mandate will have to be installed.

The BNP leader said a fresh and credible election must be held under a neutral government by reconstituting the Election Commission to establish a pro-people government.

About the rawhide crisis, Fakhrul said many orphanages and religious institutions that dependent on the income from selling rawhides are now in a deep trouble due to a serious slide in their prices during the Eid-ul-Azha. “The prices of rawhides were lowered in a planned way to force people to damage the skins of sacrificial animals.”

Referring to reports of some local and Indian newspapers, the BNP secretary general said around Tk 80,000 crore have been recently invested in a leather processing hub at West Bengal’s Bantala near Benapole border for its massive expansion.

He also said the tanneries in India’s Kanpur have been shut as cow slaughtering is prohibited at the butcher houses there. “The Indian government has now permitted the tanners of Kanpur to shift to Bantala.”

Fakhrul said there might have a correlation between the crisis in leather industry in Bangladesh and the expansion of Bantala leather hub’s expansion. “A sudden announcement was made that rawhides can be exported. We should think about where will the rawhides go through export?

He also said though a place was allocated at Savar for relocating the tanneries from Hazaribagh, the government was never sincere in this regard. “They (govt) did not take necessary measures for the relocation of the tanneries and save the industry. So, this industry has collapsed. There’s no scope to see the matter lightly.”

The BNP leader also said no manufacturing industry, except the garment one, is developed in Bangladesh as the government has failed to take effective steps and create a scope for it. 

He said the country is falling behind for the government’s failure to tap the potentials in the industrial sector. “We’re also failing to create jobs for lack of manufacturing industries.”

Dhaka, Aug 19 (UNB) – Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Monday said people are searching for a political force that will work in favour of them, as a serious political vacuum has been prevailing in the country.

“Common people are looking for a political force that will understand their demands and eye movements,” he said.

Quader made the remarks at a programme at the party Chairman’s Banani office marking the joining of two Cumilla BNP leaders to Jatiya Party.

He said Jatiya Party will do politics to fulfill people’s expectations by strengthening its organisational capacity with united efforts.

The Jatiya Party chairman urged his party colleagues to work for earning people’s confidence to get their mandate for governing the country in the days to come.

He said their party has been active in politics as an effective opposition party to show the government its mistakes and wrongdoings.  “We’ll do positive politics in favour of the country and its people.”

Mentioning that it is nearly impossible to force any government to quit in Bangladesh, Quader said political parties should allow any elected government to complete its five-year tenure and get organised for the next election.

BNP Cumilla (south) Sadar upazila unit vice-president Abdus Sattar Poddar and its joint general secretary Sakhawat Hossain joined Jatiya Party at the programme by presenting a bouquet to Quader.

Dhaka, Aug 19 (UNB) – BNP on Monday said there is no reason for Bangladesh to provide its land to India in Brahmanbaria to expand Agartala airport.

“There’ve been media reports about it (India’s desire to use Bangladeshi land in Brahmanbaria).  We’re closely observing the matter,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He further said, “Bangladesh government hasn’t agreed yet, and there’s no question about providing any land. There’s no reason to give our land to any other country.”

Fakhrul came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave along with leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Swechchasebak Dal, marking its 39th founding anniversary.

Media reports said India wants a piece of Bangladesh’s land in Brahmanbaria to expand the Agartala airport, but the country is yet to make any proposal in this regard.

Fakhrul said their party is not ‘optimistic’ about getting any positive outcome to resolve the outstanding problems with India from the visit of its External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

“We’ve been hearing for 10-12 years that the Awami League government’s relation with India reached the highest level, but we still didn’t get the fair share of water from the Teesta River. Border killing could not be stopped as no step has been taken to remove the trade deficit with India,” he said.

The BNP leader said Bangladesh’s no pending issue with India has so far been resolved. “But India solved its own problems with us. That's why we can't be optimistic and we also don’t expect much from this visit."

S Jaishankar is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Monday night to discuss bilateral issues and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to India.

Fakhrul protested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s remark involving Zia with the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in August 15, 1975, saying the ruling party is trying to distort history.

“It’s historical fact that Ziaur Rahman in no way was involved with the assassination. Their people (AL leaders) were involved with it (the murder of Bangabandhu). Those who formed the government and parliament after the assassination were involved with it,” he observed.

Fakhrul criticised Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun for his accusing BNP of involving in rawhide disaster, and said the minister made such an imprudent comment to hide his failure.

He said the current government has failed to run the country as it lacks people’s mandate. “There’s no representative of people both in the government and parliament. The unelected ministers have nothing to do except making unguarded remarks.”

The BNP leader alleged that the government is trying to be the ‘master’ of people by eliminating politics and political parties. “They want the country to be run by a single party, but people won’t let it happen.”

He warned that people will surely restore democracy in the country through a movement as they did in the past.

Dhaka, Aug 19 (UNB) - BNP on Monday chalked out a two-day programme to celebrate its 41st founding anniversary on September 1.

The programmes include rallies, discussions, hoisting party flag, placing wreaths at the grave of party founder Ziaur Rahman.

The programmes were worked out at a joint meeting of the party and its associate bodies at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office with its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the chair.

After the meeting, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programmes.

As per the founding anniversary programmes, the party flag will be hoisted atop its Nayapaltan central office and all other offices of BNP across the country at 6am on September 1.

Besides, the party leaders and activists will place wreaths and offer fateha at the grave of its founder Ziaur Rahman at 10 am on the day.

Speaking at the programme, Mirza Fakhrul said they want toke out rallies across the country, including in the capital, the same day.

He said they will not take out the rallies only to mark their founding anniversary, but also to push for their demand for the ‘restoration’ of democracy.

Fakhrul said their party will also arrange a discussion in the city on September 2.

He said they will highlight the issue of keeping their chairperson in jail ‘unfairly through the programmes of their founding anniversary.

In the 40 years’ journey of their party, the BNP leader claimed it has played outstanding contributions to establishing democracy in the country.

He also recalled their party’s various steps for socioeconomic development of the country.

On September 1, 1978, Ziaur Rahman formed BNP with a 19-point programme to build a self-reliant Bangladesh. BNP ruled the country for several terms.

BNP’s associate all units across the country will mark the day with holding various programmes, including discussion meetings and rallies.

Dhaka, Aug 18 (UNB) – Jatiya Oikyafront convener Dr Kamal Hossain’s Gonoforum will hold a discussion in the city marking the National Mourning Day and the 44th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s presidium members at Dr Kamal’s Motijheel chamber on Sunday afternoon. 

The discussion is scheduled to be held on August 24 at the Jatiya Press Club, said a party press release.

It said the meeting discussed the country’s latest political situation and celebration of the party’s 25th founding anniversary and the plight of Mirpur fire victims.

The meeting demanded the government provide the fire victims with compensation and rehabilitate them.

It also worked out different programmes, including discussion across the country, to mark the founding anniversary Gonoforum on August 29.

The party will centrally celebrate its founding anniversary on September 7 at Mohanagar Natya Mancha in the capital.

Gonoforum general secretary Dr Reza Kibria, executive presidents Dr Abu Sayeed, Subrata Chowdhury, presidium members Mokabbir Khan, MP, Jaglul Haider Afrik, AMSA Amin, Advocate Mohsin Khan and joint general secretary Amin Ahmed Afsari were, among others, present at the meeting held with Dr Kamal in the chair.