Thakurgaon, Jun 16 (UNB) - BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said the current government is working in a free style since it has no accountability to people.

“Bangladesh has now turned into a failed state where there is no accountability. The government is acting as per its whim,” he said while addressing a meeting of Ruhia thana unit BNP in Sadar upazila here.

The BNP leader said the government has created a suffocating situation for those who believe in democracy through its repressive act.

“Many people now think what will be the use of waging a movement for democracy. But we shouldn’t forget that we got Bangladesh through a struggle. We must carry out a strong struggle now to restore democracy in the country,” he told his party colleagues.

He said the current parliament is illegal as it was not formed with people’s vote. “This is unfortunate that we could not protect the people’s voting tights.”

The BNP leader said the government is using all the state machinery to hang on to power snatching people’s all rights.

About the current budget, he said it is not a pro-people budget as it was designed only to protect the interests of a quarter.

He said huge money has been allocated in the budget only to provide salaries and facilities to government officials and employees.

Fakhrul protested the Indian border guard’s new director general Rajni Kant Mishra’s remark that the killings of Bangladeshi nationals along the border ‘are unfortunate deaths. “Many Bangladeshis were killed along the border, and such killing must be stopped.”

Dhaka, June 16 (UNB) – BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra on Sunday said it is not possible to accept the demand of a group of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leaders for the removal of age limit in forming its new committee.

“If those who are on a movement take a vow to remain with Chhatra Dal even after expiry of their student life, it’s difficult for the party to accept such a demand. It’s also not possible for us to meet an unjustified demand,” he said.

Talking to reporters at his Nayapaltan office, the BNP leader also said their party did not abandon the leaders of the recently dissolved JCD committee as it will create a scope for them to do politics. “But they must cooperate with us to do so.”

Earlier in the day, several hundred disgruntled leaders and activists of the recently dissolved JCD central committee staged a demonstration in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office for about two hours from 11am demanding removal of the age limit to join the new committee.

Gayeshwar, a BNP standing committee member, said their party’s former JCD leaders took a decision that the candidates for the JCD next committee must have passed SSC and equivalent examinations after 2000. 

He said those who are now not students should not have a desire to do student politics. “It’s our responsibility to create new positions and scope for the ex-Chhatra Dal leader to do politics, and we’re aware of it.”

The BNP leader said people also want student politics to be run by current students, not by former ones or non-students. “Those who are now staging demonstrations for cancelling the age limit should understand it.” 

JCD’s central committee was dissolved on June 3. A BNP press release, signed by Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, said a new committee will be formed within the next 45 days based on the opinions of its councillors.

It said candidates planning to contest for various posts will have to be primary members, students of any educational institution in Bangladesh and must have passed SSC and equivalent examinations after 2000.  

JCD’s last committee was formed on October 14, 2014, with Rajib Ahsan as its president and Akramul Hasan as general secretary.
 

Dhaka, June 16 (UNB) – BNP MPs on Sunday raised the question again about the legitimacy of the current Parliament, saying their joining would not ascertain its validity.

Two BNP MPs -- Md Harunur Rashid and Rumeen Farhana -– raised the question taking part in the discussion on the supplementary budget for 2018-19 fiscal year in Parliament.

They said the six BNP MPs joined Parliament as their party is not getting space for democratic practice like holding rallies outside.

“Many are asking as to why we’ve joined the House although the last general election was unacceptable,” Harunur Rashid said, adding that the Election Commission has completely failed to hold an acceptable election and it has destroyed parliamentary elections as well as local government elections.

“The joining of six BNP MPs won’t give legitimacy to this Parliament,” he said.

There is the absence of democratic space for raising their demands in line with the constitution and even their party is not allowed to hold any rally, the BNP MP said. “BNP MPs joined Parliament to restore good governance in the country.”

He urged Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was present in the House, to initiate a national dialogue with the participation of the leaders of all political parties to have good governance in the country.

Rumeen Farhana said they have joined Parliament as BNP was not allowed to hold any protest programme. “We came here to talk about the people of the country,” she said, alleging that all the 300 constituencies were ‘looted’ in the last election.

She demanded disclosure of the names of bad loan holders in the country.  

Rumeen also alleged that Bangladeshi money is being siphoned off to different countries. “This money is being invested in the Second Home project in Malaysia and used to build Begumpara in Canada.”

During her speech, treasury bench members raised hue and cry on several times and deputy speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah who was presiding over the sitting at the time expunged unparliamentarily words from the speech of the lone BNP women MP.
 

Dhaka, Jan 16 (UNB) – BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday said the media in Bangladesh cannot play the due role now as various state agencies are controlling them.

“It’s now impossible for the media to play its due role. The media freedom has been snatched the way our voting and basic rights had been snatched,” he said.

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader further said, “On this day (in 1975), they (AL) gaged the media by introducing one-party Baksal rule. After the 45 years, the same ghost of the one-party rule is now again regulating the media.”

Labour Party, one of the components of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, arranged the programme at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU), marking June 16 as the black day for newspapers.

Khosru, a BNP standing committee member, said Awami League stifled media in 1975 by formulating a law. “But, now they’re doing it by creating some media with their patronage, and using the state agencies. The media outlets face obstacles whenever they cross the particular line set by the government.”

He regretted that the government is now using the media to cling to power by snatching the independence of journalists.

The BNP leader said many journalists are now quitting profession and trying to go abroad as they cannot work freely.

About the new budget, he said it has been formulated only to protect the interest of the ruling quarter. “It’s usual that those who usurped power would design the budget for their own gains as they don’t have accountability to people,” Khosru observed.

He also said the new budget will only make the loan burden of people heavier.

Dhaka, Jun 16 (UNB) - BNP senior leader Moudud Ahmed on Sunday alleged that around 7 billion US dollars were siphoned off from Bangladesh by ‘government-backed people’ over the last one decade.

Speaking at a human chain programme, he also alleged that the scope for whitening black money was kept in the proposed budget for 2019-20 fiscal to allow ruling party men to legalise their ill-gotten money.

“Around 7 billion US dollars were siphoned off from Bangladesh over the last one decade…those who’re doing business backed by the government laundered the money instead of investing it in the country,” the BNP leader said.

Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club demanding the release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and a fresh national election.

Moudud, a BNP standing committee member, said the ruling party-supported people constructed houses, shopping malls and set up big businesses in many countries, including Malaysia, the USA, Australia and Canada by siphoning off huge money from the country.  

“They did it as their alternative measures as they know it very well that it’ll be very difficult for them to stay in Bangladesh when the fall of the current regime is ensured,” he added.

About the proposed national budget, he said it was formulated only to facilitate the ruling party men and their beneficiaries. “This budget is not for the common people. The rich will get richer while the poor poorer through the budget.”  

He said the government has kept the option open for whitening the black money for over the 10 years so that the ruling party-backed people who earned huge illegal money through corruption can legalise those.

The BNP leader alleged that their chairperson Khaleda Zia has been kept in jail for around one year and four months due to the government’s political ‘influence’. “We’ll seek her bail at the High Court division in Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases by this week. If the bail is denied, we’ll move the Appellate Division.”

He said they will put in their best efforts to free Khaleda through the legal process. “But she can truly be freed through a movement. Khaleda Zia’s released can be ensured through a street movement.”

Moudud said their party leaders and activists must get organised and to take to the streets with such a programme that will force the government to release her.

The BNP leader said the country’s 16 crore people want Khaleda to be freed from jail. “But we can’t ensure the bail for her despite our frantic efforts only because of the government’s political influence.”