Politics
No conspiracy can stop country’s development spree: Quader
No conspiracy can stop Sheikh Hasina's trend of development and prosperity, said Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday.
"No matter how much BNP tries and conspires along with its domestic and foreign allies, this country can never be suppressed," he said at a press briefing at his official residence.
Before talking about the indemnity in the power sector, did BNP forget - they gave indemnity to protect Bangabandhu's killers, the Awami League general secretary said, adding that Khaleda Zia also gave indemnity during Operation Clean Heart.
Read:Fakhrul’s demand to restore democracy frightens people: Quader
He said the BNP's indemnity was to protect the killers and the Sheikh Hasina government had given indemnity in the interest of continuing development and for the welfare of people.
Terming BNP as a party of money looters and plunderers, he said, "BNP is a terrorist group which has been proved by foreign courts. They want this country to become a failed state, but the people of this country will not allow it to happen."
Quader said that the BNP leaders have revealed their hateful nature by expressing anger against the government on the holy day of Eid.
Their comments made people upset who are passing their Eid holidays with loved ones in a festive mood, he added.
Obaidul Quader claimed that the BNP had plunged the country into darkness and the Sheikh Hasina government has enlightened the country.
Travel misery robs holidaymakers of joy of Eid: BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday alleged the holidaymakers’ joy of Eid was marred by travel misery for lack of government monitoring.
"There’s no authority to look after the transportation system, especially the train service. We see how accidents are happening on roads. Passengers have suffered long delays due to a collapse in train schedules,” he said.
The BNP leader also said in fact the government has no authority anywhere, causing public suffering. “People have no joy of Eid amid misery.”
He also said the government has failed to ensure good governance. “Their only goal is to indulge in corruption. They’re turning the country into a failed state.”
Fakhrul made the comments while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave.
The BNP secretary general along with party standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan and other party leaders paid homage to Zia by placing wreaths at his grave on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.
They also offered fateha there and took part in a special prayer seeking the salvation of the departed soul of the BNP founder.
About power outages, Fakhrul said the government use to brag that they had surplus power production capacity. “They have to now conduct load-shedding for three-four hours every day. The main reason behind it is corruption.”
He said quick-rental power plants have been set up by spending excessive money. “No international tender has been called for the establishment of these plants and a law has been enacted so that no question can be raised in this regard. No case can be filed over any allegation. It means an indemnity has been granted.”
The BNP leader also said the government had no plan to run the power plants by exploring gas in the country.
He said the government did not take any step for gas exploration only to import LNG and thus ensure the benefit of one or two companies.
“They’re doing all these things because of corruption. They make every plan to loot Bangladesh. In fact, this is a government of plunderers and Awami League has become a party of plundering,” Fakhrul said.
He alleged that the government has created a myth of development to make their pockets heavier through corruption, and to misled people.
"There has been no real development in the country as the poverty rate has increased. Around 42% people of the country are living below the poverty line,” he observed.
BNP denounces Abe's dastardly assassination
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has expressed deep shock over the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
In a condolence message on Friday, he said, “The killing of the former prime minister of Japan is disgusting and cowardly.”
The BNP leader said the world community has got terrified and worried by this tragic incident.
“The people of Bangladesh and the BNP have also become shocked and disappointed by this heartbreaking incident,” he said.
Also read: Shinzo Abe was a true friend of Bangladesh: GM Quader
Stating that the international community has lost a world leader, the BNP leader said, “He (Abe) was a veteran, experienced, prudent politician and a good ruler.”
“The perpetrators of this inhuman bloody incident can never be allies of humanity,” he observed.
Describing the killers of Shinoza Abe as cowards, Fakhrul strongly condemn the heinous incident.
He prayed for eternal peace for the departed soul of Abe.
The BNP leader also expressed his sympathy to the bereaved people of Japan and the families of the victims and their loved ones.
Shinzo Abe, 67, died after being shot while giving a campaign speech in Japan on Friday.
Abe immediately collapsed and was seen bleeding before he was taken to hospital.
The attack on Abe and his subsequent death shocked the entire world.
Also read: Khaleda to celebrate Eid with sister, granddaughter
Bangladesh is observing state mourning today (July 9) showing deep respect to Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Shinzo Abe was a true friend of Bangladesh: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday expressed deep shock over the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
In a condolence message, he said’ “The late Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was a true friend of Bangladesh.”
Under his leadership, the Jatiya Party chief said Japan became a unique development partner of Bangladesh.
Also read: Bangladesh observing state mourning paying respect to Abe
“The news of the death of such a genuine friend of Bangladesh can’t be accepted,” said GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament.
He also condemned the murder of the former Japanese Prime Minister.
The Jatiya Party chairman prayed for the peace of the departed soul of the late Prime Minister of Japan.
He also expressed his sympathy to the bereaved people of Japan.
Meanwhile, Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu also expressed deep sorrow over the death of Shinzo Abe.
Shinzo Abe, 67, died after being shot while giving a campaign speech in Japan on Friday.
Abe immediately collapsed and was seen bleeding before he was taken to hospital.
The attack on Abe and his subsequent death shocked the entire world.
Bangladesh is observing state mourning today (July 9) showing deep respect to Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Khaleda to celebrate Eid with sister, granddaughter
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with her close relatives, including sister Selina Islam and granddaughter Zahiya Rahman at her Gulshan residence on Sunday.
Selina will go to Khaleda’s house bringing traditional food items at noon on Eid, while senior BNP leaders, including secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, will exchange greetings with her in the evening.
Talking to UNB, Selina said her sister is still sick and remains under the observation of doctors.
Also read: Khaleda returns home from hospital
“So, we can’t always meet her directly any time we desire. As tomorrow (Sunday) is Eid, I will go to her house and spend the day with her,” she said.
Selina said Khaleda’s granddaughter Zahia, the younger daughter of late Arafat Rahman Koko, will also spend the Eid day with her.
She said some other close relatives, including her younger brother Shamim Eskandar's wife Nasrin Eskandar and mothers-in-law of her two sons, are also likely to meet the BNP chief.
Thrice-former prime minister Khaleda, 76, has long been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, heart, kidney, lung and eye problems.
Also read: Khaleda to return home from hospital today
She returned home after a 14-day stay in the capital's Evercare Hospital on June 24. The hospital visit was prompted by a mild heart attack, that led to doctors inserting an artificial ring, or stent, in one of her arteries where it had 95% blockage.
Two more blockages were found in the arteries of the BNP chairperson through a coronary angiogram, which may require stenting later.
Zia initiated culture of impunity through indemnity against Bangabandhu's killers: Joy
Lamenting the disgraceful inclusion of the indemnity of Bangabandhu's killers in the fifth amendment to the constitution, Prime Minister's ICT Affairs Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy has termed it as the beginning of the culture of impunity.
"Today is notorious July 9. On this day in 1979, this indemnity act against humanity was passed in the parliament, initiating the culture of impunity in the country," wrote Joy from his verified Facebook account.
Following the darkest chapter in independent Bangladesh, the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family on August 15, 1975, the indemnity ordinance was introduced on September 26 in the same year, paving the path for Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad to take over with the help of Bangabandhu's killers, he added.
Also read: Cheerful PM’s photo with Joy, Putul from Padma Bridge takes netizens by storm
According to the indemnity ordinance, no one involved in Bangabandhu's murder or its conspiracy could be tried in lower court, Supreme court, or court martial.
Thus Bangladesh’s first military dictator Ziaur Rahman turned the ordinance into an act, denying people's basic rights to get justice, he further said.
The killers were protected and rewarded through the indemnity ordinance. Even some of them were endowed with embassy jobs while some became members of the parliament in 1988, he wrote in the post accompanied by a video.
Also read: Future of Bangladesh hinges much on Padma Bridge: Joy
The stigma was finally eradicated by the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, which scapped the act on November 12, 1996, he concluded.
AL-backed syndicates make Eid holidaymakers suffer with extortion, harassment: Rizvi
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Friday alleged that the Eid holidaymakers are facing many ordeals while travelling to their village homes due to anarchy in the transport sector fueled by ruling party-backed syndicates.
"People from the metropolitan cities are returning to villages to celebrate Eid with their loved ones. But the anarchy in transport fares fueled by the government syndicates and the limitless misery on the roads are spoiling the joy of the Eid holidaymakers," he said.
Speaking at a press conference at the BNP's Nayapaltan Central Office, Rizvi also said the Awami League's transport and ticket syndicates have become active during Eid to make quick bucks.
Read: AL can’t earn people’s trust even with 1000 Padma bridges: BNP
He said the transport syndicates are charging two-three times extra fares from the homebound people ahead of Eid. "The ruling party's influential leaders get a share of this money. Extortion, traffic jams and harassment continue on the roads and highways for a lack of monitoring."
The BNP leader also slammed the government for public suffering caused by frequent power outages. "Why are we now experiencing horrible load-shedding during the tenure of this government which could produce surplus electricity?"
After lighting the Padma Bridge with so many lights, Rizvi said, the ministers are now saying that the wedding ceremonies should be finished by 7pm without any illumination.
It is now being recommended to cut the office hours due to the power crisis, he added. "So, there's no doubt that the country is heading for bankruptcy like Sri Lanka."
Read: Country heading for deep economic crisis: BNP warns
The BNP leader also said when people are struggling to cope with skyrocketing prices of daily essentials, the government has increased the price of water by 5 percent. "The state minister for power already said the price of fuel oil will go up. Earlier, the prices of electricity and gas were increased."
He alleged that the ruling party leaders are indulging in corruption in every sector, leaving people in misery. "The country is now under the grasp of the ruling party quarters."
The BNP leader called upon the people to get united to save the country and establish a pro-people government through a strong street movement.
Country heading for deep economic crisis: BNP warns
BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Wednesday warned that Bangladesh is likely to face a deepening economic crisis like Sri Lanka though the government is now trying to hush up the reality.
Speaking at a discussion, he also blamed the government’s alleged mismanagement and wrong policy for the current power crisis in the country.
Read: AL can’t earn people’s trust even with 1000 Padma bridges: BNP
"We’re now going through the power and economic crisis, though the government is trying to cover it up. But you will see one day or another that our situation could be even worse than it is now in Sri Lanka,” he said.
Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, said even those who belong to the government are now saying that even though Bangladesh’s condition is still not the same as in Sri Lanka, but it may happen in the future.
He alleged that the government is ruining the country’s economy by indulging in massive corruption in the name of mega projects. “Our banks are struggling with bad loans. Although there is no rule to borrowing from the reserves, loans have been given from there secretly…this economy of looters won’t last long.”
The BNP leader called upon people from all walks of life to get united to save the country by ensuring the fall of the current government through a strong street movement. “People want a change in government and they don't want to see this regime in power anymore,” he said.
Jatiyatabadi Nobin Dal, a pro-BNP platform, arranged the programme at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).
Read:BNP leaders, activists being obstructed from distributing flood relief: Tuku
About the current power crisis, he said the country has been witnessing frequent power outages for a few days as the government did not take any step to ensure the necessary gas supply for the generation of required electricity.
“I would like to ask the Prime Minister why the load-shedding returns now that you claimed to have sent to the museum. What happened to your bragging now? The load-shedding is now affecting the economy,” the BNP leader observed.
He said the power crisis has been created as the government started importing gas instead of increasing its local production to meet the demand of the power plants.
"The government has not taken any step over the last 14 years regarding the extraction and distribution of the gas from which we generate electricity. They have relied on gas imported from abroad,” the BNP leader alleged.
He also slammed the government for depending on the rental power plants and said the government did it to appease a syndicate and allow them to make money. "That’s why the price of per unit of electricity is now over Tk10 which was below Tk2 during our government."
AL can’t earn people’s trust even with 1000 Padma bridges: BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said the Awami League government will not be able to earn the confidence of people even if it builds a thousand Padma bridges keeping 'democracy besieged.
"Hold a credible election to see how much confidence people have in you (govt). Ayub Khan also carried out development activities during the Pakistan period. There’s no point of constructing a thousand Padma bridges if there is no democracy and political emancipation of people and if they don't have voting and other rights,” he said.
Fakhrul came up with the remarks at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office reacting to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent comment that people are giving Awami league votes again and again as they have confidence in her government.
Read: BNP leaders, activists being obstructed from distributing flood relief: Tuku
He questioned how the government gained people’s confidence by rigging votes the night before the election day and by depriving people of their voting rights.
Reiterating their party’s stance on the next polls, the BNP leader said their party will participate in the election if it is held under a non-party neutral government.
"A neutral and non-partisan government is a must for a free and fair election in Bangladesh. Otherwise, even if you bring the election commissioners from heaven, you won’t have a credible election. “It’s impossible,” he observed.
Fakhrul who recovered from Covid infection recently came up with the outcome of their party’s standing committee meeting at the press conference.
He said their standing committee meeting feels that the government has completely failed to stand by the affected people in the flood-hit areas. “It could not reach adequate relief materials among people. There’s no visible activity by the government for rehabilitating flood victims.
The BNP leader said the meeting demanded the government immediately take steps for ensuring food, clothes, medical treatment and construction of houses for the affected people.
He said their standing committee members expressed serious resentment as the Planning Minister himself admitted that the 6th Population and Housing Census was not done properly across the country.
“It has never been possible to get the actual information through all kinds of surveys and studies during the tenure of the current government as data collection are done as per its instructions… as a result, international organisations can’t trust all the information and data of Bangladesh,” the BNP leader said.
About the sudden rise in load-shedding, Fakhrul said people across the country have been experiencing terrible power outages. “The frequent power cuts have proved that the government’s comments on cent percent electricity coverage are just rhetoric.
He said the government set up quick-rental power plants with the main goal to make their pockets heavier by indulging in corruption.
The BNP leader said the frequent power cuts are signs that Bangladesh is moving towards a fragile condition.
Read:BNP blames govt for fresh spike in Covid cases
Fakhrul said their meeting observed that the real foreign exchange reserves now stand at 34.02 billion as $7.5billion loans from the reserves were given to the influential persons close to the government high-ups in the name of the Export Development Fund (EDF).
They said these are forced loans given by the state-owned banks and the IMF has suggested not to including this amount of money in foreign exchange reserves.
The meeting also observed that the $7.5 billion are unlikely to return as foreign currency to the country's foreign exchange reserves.
The government is doing this terrible damage to the country by violating all the rules and regulations of the economy and the reserves only for the benefit of its own close and influential people.
He said the influential people did huge damage to the country's economy by siphoning off foreign currency abroad from the country in the name of EDF loans. “Economists fear that the far-reaching effects of such loans will bankrupt the social economy and the economy as a whole.”
The BNP leader said their meeting voiced deep concern over the EDF loans from the serves and decided to present a report with detailed information on the issue.
BNP leaders, activists being obstructed from distributing flood relief: Tuku
BNP on Monday alleged that while people in the flood-affected northeast region have been crying for food and medicines, the party is being obstructed from carrying out relief efforts by the ruling party and law enforcers.
“The air in the country’s Sylhet, Mymensingh and Rangpur divisions has become heavy with cries of the flood victims, but the government’s assistance for them is extremely inadequate,” said party standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he called upon all to come forward to serve humanity rising above politics at this bad time in the country.
Also read: BNP for permanent solution to recurring floods in Sylhet region
As a party of people, the Tuku said BNP has already stood by the flood-hit people in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, Feni, Netrokona and Kurigram.
He bemoaned that the ruling party activists and police have been obstructing the BNP leaders and activists from distributing relief materials among the flood victims.
Tuku, the convener of BNP’s relief committee, said people in the flood-hit areas are starving for lack of food and they are suffering from various diseases for lack of treatment and medicines.
“At this time, they (AL activists) are impeding the distribution of relief materials by BNP. They are attacking our preparatory meeting on relief distribution with sticks and firearms, injuring our leaders and workers while police are foiling our programmes,” he said.
The BNP leader said people are venting their anger by saying that they are not getting relief from the government.
Apart from relief, he said people are facing an acute shortage of medicines due to the outbreak of the water-borne disease.
“Skin diseases are now seriously spreading in the flood-hit Haor areas. For lack of medicine, flood victims are applying turmeric and kerosene oil to their bodies. I saw it with my own eyes. It can’t be understood the real scenario without visiting the areas. The situation there is terrible there,” Tuku observed.
He said the government is not giving attention to the sufferings of the flood victims. “The welfare of the people is no longer the goal of this regime. Their focus is on mega projects from where they make a hefty profit.”
Also read: BNP blames govt for fresh spike in Covid cases
The BNP leader claimed that their party leaders and activists have already helped over one lakh flood-hit families with relief materials and in various ways, including moving the victims to flood shelters, providing treatment, medicines, making houses and giving the farmers seeds. “We’ve continued these activities.”