Politics
Send Khaleda abroad for treatment to evade public wrath: BNP to govt
Renewing their party’s demand for allowing ailing Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced treatment, BNP on Sunday warned that people won’t forgive the government if anything bad happens to her for lack of treatment.
"We would like to make a final call for releasing Begum Khaleda Zia immediately and sending her abroad for advanced treatment. Otherwise, you must shoulder all the responsibilities...,” BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.
Also read: Khaleda has two more blockages in heart, kept under 72-hrs observation
Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader also said the government has to take the responsibility for ensuring Khaleda’s advanced treatment abroad.
“Or else, if anything bad happens to her, the country’s people won’t pardon you. They’ll drag you down from power,” he warned.
BNP’s Dhaka north and south units arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club demanding prompt steps for ensuring advanced treatment of Khaleda Zia abroad.
Several thousand leaders and activists of BNP from different wards of the capital joined the rally with banners and festoons.
Fakhrul said the government has long been obstructing Khaleda from going abroad for treatment though convicted ruling party leaders are availing of the same scope.
“Salim Uddin and Kalim Uddin all can go abroad for treatment. The convicted people also can go abroad for treatment. Some people can go there by air ambulance. Then why she (Khaleda) is not allowed to be treated abroad? ” he questioned.
The BNP leader also said the Awami League government is not releasing Khaleda and allowing her to go abroad as it is afraid of her popularity.
Khaleda has two more blockages in arteries; kept under 72-hrs observation
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been kept under close observation for 72 hours as she has two more blockages in her blood arteries and some other complications, said her physician Dr AZM Zahid Hossain on Sunday.
He said three blockages were found in the arteries of the BNP chairperson through a coronary angiogram test conducted on Saturday as per the advice of the medical board formed at Evercare Hospital for her treatment.
Zahid said Khaleda suffered a heart attack due to around a 95 percent blockage in her left artery. “A stent has been placed there by removing the blockage.”
He said doctors are unwilling to make any comment on her current health condition until 72 hours have passed. “She is now there at CCU under close observation of the doctors.”
About two other blockages, Zahid said doctors will take proper measures in this regard after observing her condition as she has chronic kidney and liver problems.
He said the medicines that are required to remove the two other blockages may worsen the condition of her kidneys.
Considering various aspects, Zahid said the medical board has done stenting on the vessel which was the most critical and hurting her physically.
READ: Khaleda must follow legal process for treatment abroad, says Home Minister
He said a 19-member medical board headed by Prof Shahabuddin Talukder has been observing the BNP chief’s condition and ensuring proper treatment to her with sincerity.
Zahid, also a BNP vice chairman, said no family members and BNP leaders are being allowed to visit her now.
He urged the country’s people to pray for speedy recovery of the BNP chairperson.
Earlier, Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital in the early hours of Saturday as she suddenly fell ill.
A ring (stent) was placed in the main artery of her heart on Saturday afternoon.
Earlier at an emergency meeting, the medical board formed for ensuring treatment of Khaleda decided to perform the angiogram as she suffered a mild heart attack.
Khaleda, a former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung and eye problems.
The 76-year-old was last admitted to Evercare on November 13 last year where she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.
On February 1, Khaleda returned home after an 81-day stay at the hospital as she was suffering from internal bleeding caused by liver cirrhosis.
The former prime minister was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.
Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the government temporarily freed Khaleda from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she will stay at her Gulshan home and not leave the country.
Budget aims to protect interests of govt's benefactors: BNP
Describing the proposed national budget for the next fiscal year as an unrealistic one, BNP on Saturday alleged that it has been formulated only for protecting the interests of the government's benefactors.
"This budget is by no means the budget of the common people. It's just a budget for money launderers and those who siphon off dollars,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He further said, “This year's budget is a completely unrealistic budget at this difficult time of the country. It has been made only for the government-backed people.”
Fakhrul made the remarks while presenting their party’s formal reaction to the national budget at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Earlier on Thursday, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presented the budget in Parliament.
Slamming the government for offering amnesty to the money launderers, Fakhrul said the new budget has been formulated to give the looters a scope to legalise and bring back their illegal money home safely.
“This budget has also been made to create an opportunity for the government’s ministers, members of parliament and their relatives and the businessmen to siphon off money abroad,” he observed.
Also read: Budget FY23: It’s a budget of plundering, says Fakhrul
The BNP leader also said the budget has been formulated to allow the ruling party leaders and activists to increase their wealth and make money instead of taking any effective strategy to lower the prices of rice, pulses, salt, sugar, gas, electricity and water and other daily essentials and utility services.
He described the proposed amnesty to money launderers as illegal. "It’s not only immoral but also contrary to the law. It’s also tantamount to pardoning corruption and money laundering."
Fakhrul said this step will make the future of the ongoing money laundering cases uncertain while the launderers will be encouraged to siphon off more money abroad. “This is an unjust, reckless and suicidal move.”
“We think this is also an unconstitutional move which conflicts with the government’s so-called zero tolerance policy against corruption. We strongly condemn it, “he said.
The BNP leader demanded the government annul the scope for legalising the laundered money.
At the same time, he demanded that immediate action be taken against the money launderers by identifying them and confiscating their assets.
Criticising various aspects of the proposed budget, Fakhrul said the new budget is of the businessmen, by the businessmen and for the businessmen. “That means it's a business-friendly budget. Nothing relating to public welfare has been included in the budget.”
Also read: BNP denounces national budget as friendly to looters
He said though the growing inflation rate causing immense public suffering, no step has been taken in the budget to ease their misery. “The tax-free income limit has not been increased and the middle-class people have not been relieved. The import taxes of products that are mainly consumed by the middle-class people have been increased.”
The BNP secretary general also thinks the allocations for the social safety net, health, education and agriculture sectors were not sufficient.
Referring to the budget speech of the Finance Minister on the introduction of digital currency, he said, it is a matter of monetary policy of the Bangladesh Bank. “The Finance Minister can’t interfere in the regulatory jurisdiction of the central bank.”
The BNP leader also bemoaned that the Finance Minister did not say anything about the banking sector that has been grasped by a vicious circle.
He said the minister admitted the rise in the inflation rate but did not make any specific proposal in the budget to control it.
Speaking at the press conference, BNP standing committee member and former health minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the allocation for the health sector in the proposed budget is typical. “There’s no direction in the budget for addressing the weaknesses that have been identified in this sector during the Covid period.”
BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, among others, were present at the press conference.
Ring (stent) installed in Khaleda’s heart: Fakhrul
A ring (stent) has been placed in the artery of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia after she suffered a mild heart attack, said party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday.
“Doctors performed an angiogram on Khaleda Zia and found 99 percent blockage in her main coronary artery. They then successfully placed a ring there by removing the blockage,” he said.
Fakhrul came up with the information at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Earlier at an emergency meeting, he said the medical board formed for ensuring treatment of Khaleda at Evercare Hospital decided to perform the angiogram as she suffered a mild heart attack.
He said the BNP chief was suffering from suffocation and breathing problems following the heart attack.
Doctors hoped that she will get temporary relief from the heart problems as the ring has been installed, the BNP leader said.
Also Read: Khaleda must follow legal process for treatment abroad, says Home Minister
Stating that Khaleda’s life will be at stake if she cannot receive advanced treatment, he renewed their party’s call for allowing the BNP chief to go abroad to save her life.
Fakhrul hoped that good sense would prevail upon the government this time to allow Khaleda to go abroad for advanced treatment. “Otherwise, they will be held responsible if anything bad happens to her.”
In response to a question, Fakhrul said Khaleda has a heart disease which is threatening her life. “Physicians now have been able to provide a temporary solution to the problem. But it is not possible to treat her other diseases in the country. She needs to be treated in an advanced center outside the country. ”
As in the past, he said the medical board today (Saturday) suggested sending the BNP Chief abroad for advanced treatment.
Asked what steps BNP would take to send the BNP chairperson abroad, he said they are again urging the government to allow her to go abroad. “No decision has been taken yet by our party in this regard. Of course, we will do it."
Fakhrul said it is the demand of the people of Bangladesh that Begum Khaleda Zia be sent abroad to save her life.
Earlier, Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital in the early hours of Saturday as she suddenly fell ill.
Also read: Medical board reviewing Khaleda’s health condition
"Madam (Khaleda) suddenly fell ill at her Gulshan home. We rushed her to Evercare Hospital," Khaleda's physician Professor AZM Zahid Hossain told UNB.
The BNP chief was taken to the coronary care unit (CCU) of the hospital at 3:20am, he added.
The BNP chief left her Gulshan residence for the hospital at 2:55amand was admitted there at 3:15am, said her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan.
Hearing the news of Khaleda's illness, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir rushed to her Gulshan residence and later went to the hospital.
Coming out of the hospital around 4:30am, Fakhrul said after some primary tests, the doctors found that she has cardiac problems.
"Madam's condition is stable now. How complicated her problem is can be confirmed after she undergoes different tests, especially an angiogram," he said.
He hoped that Khaleda would recover as she did in the past.
The BNP leader urged the country’s people to pray for her speedy recovery. It is for the fifth time the BNP was admitted to the hospital since she was infected with Covid-19 in April 2021.
The BNP chairperson last went to Evercare on April 6 for health check-ups
Khaleda, a former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung and eye problems.
The 76-year-old was last admitted to Evercare on November 13 last year where she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.
Also read: Khaleda suffers heart attack: Medical board
On February 1, Khaleda returned home after an 81-day stay at the hospital as she was suffering from internal bleeding caused by liver cirrhosis.
The former prime minister was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.
Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the government temporarily freed Khaleda from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she will stay at her Gulshan home and not leave the country.
Khaleda suffers heart attack: Medical board
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia suffered a coronary heart attack, said the medical board at Evercare Hospital in the capital on Saturday.
It decided to perform an angiogram on the BNP chief, said her personal doctor Professor AZM Zahid Hossain.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the 12-member medical board formed for ensuring treatment of Khaleda.
"Madame has suffered an acute coronary heart attack. The medical board has decided to perform an angiogram on her very soon,” Zahid said.
At the same time, he said the medical board has asked Khaleda’s family members to take steps for sending her abroad for better treatment.
Earlier, the medical board sat in an emergency meeting at 11:10am and reviewed the latest condition of the BNP chairperson and the reports of various tests on her heart.
Zahid said Khaleda Zia has long been suffering from various critical diseases, including heart, liver and kidney complications. “She needs to receive advanced treatment abroad, but the government has long been denying her permission to go there.”
He believes Khaleda will be able to recover completely if she is allowed to go abroad for treatment.
Earlier, Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital in the early hours of Saturday as she suddenly fell ill.
"Madam (Khaleda) suddenly fell ill at her Gulshan home. We rushed her to Evercare Hospital," Khaleda's physician Professor AZM Zahid Hossain told UNB.
READ: Khaleda suffers heart attack: Medical board
The BNP chief was taken to the coronary care unit (CCU) of the hospital at 3:20am, he added.
The BNP chief left her Gulshan residence for the hospital at 2:55amand was admitted there at 3:15am, said her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan.
Hearing the news of Khaleda's illness, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir rushed to her Gulshan residence and later went to the hospital.
Coming out of the hospital around 4:30am, Fakhrul said after some primary tests, the doctors found that she has cardiac problems.
"Madam's condition is stable now. How complicated her problem is can be confirmed after she undergoes different tests, especially an angiogram," he said.
He hoped that Khaleda would recover as she did in the past.
The BNP leader urged the country’s people to pray for her speedy recovery. It is for the fifth time the BNP was admitted to the hospital since she was infected with Covid-19 in April 2021.
The BNP chairperson last went to Evercare on April 6 for health check-ups
Khaleda, a former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung and eye problems.
The 76-year-old was last admitted to Evercare on November 13 last year where she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.
On February 1, Khaleda returned home after an 81-day stay at the hospital as she was suffering from internal bleeding caused by liver cirrhosis.
The former prime minister was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.
Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the government temporarily freed Khaleda from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she will stay at her Gulshan home and not leave the country.
BNP denounces national budget as friendly to looters
Slamming the government for offering an amnesty to plunderers, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday described the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2022-2023 as friendly to looters, not the common people.
“Budget will help those who stole, robbed and looted public money and stashed the cash abroad like PK Halder. They can now bring black money from abroad by paying 7 per cent tax and no one can raise any question against it,” he said.
Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader also said the money launderers will not be caught by the ACC and the apex court will not raise any question against them if they pay the tax.
“So, can I say those who have presented this budget are the government of the common people? Is it a budget for common people? This is a regime of looters, thieves, robbers. They’re now cutting people's pockets and making their own pockets heavier, destroying the economy and the potentials of this country. ”
READ: BNP denounces attack on Saki as scandalous
Dhaka south and north city units of BNP arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting the hike in prices of essential commodities and gas.
Earlier on Thursday, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal unveiled the Tk 678,064 crore national budget for the financial year 2022-2023 with a special focus on economic recovery from uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
In the proposed budget, the government offered the amnesty to undisclosed assets or cash of Bangladeshis stashed in foreign countries.
According to the proposed provision, money siphoned off abroad from Bangladesh can be legalised in exchange of seven to fifteen per cent tax.
Terming the government an unelected one, Fakhrul said it has no authority to give the budget to people. “Their misrule for the last 14/15 years has proved that they are the enemy of the people of Bangladesh. They have even now become the mass enemy of people.”
He said budget will not help lower the prices of essential items, house rents, transport fares and fertiliser. “As the price of gas rises, so will the price of fertilizer and all the commodities. But the purchasing capacity of people has not increased so much.”
Stating that the public administration have been given the highest allocation in the budget, he said the government has done it for increasing the salary and various benefits of police, magistrate, DC, UNO and those who worked at Secretariat by cutting money from people's pockets.
“This regime has taken a position against people. They have no love for people. Had they had love for people they would have protected common people’s interests,” he observed.
He said 42 per cent population of the county has gone down below the poverty line as a result of the development of the Awami League government. “Awami League has never done anything for those (poor) people in the current budget or in previous ones.”
Fakhrul called upon the government to quit power and dissolve the parliament by handing it over to a neutral administration without buying any more time.
He said democracy will be restored in the country through a credible election to be conducted by an impartial Election Commission under a non-party government.
Otherwise, he warned that BNP together with the country’s people will oust the government through a strong movement.
Budget FY23: It’s a budget of plundering, says Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said the new national budget was prepared only to widen the scope for the ruling party leaders and activists to plunder more public money in the coming year.
“Every year we come up with our reaction to the budget, but we don’t want to give any reaction to it this time…who’re placing this budget? They’re not representatives of the people,” he said.
Speaking at a council of Dhaka north city unit BNP’s four wards under Kafrul Thana, Fakhrul also said the budget for the fiscal year 2022-2023 was placed by those who have no right to present it.
“They (govt) prepare the budget only for indulging in looting. They make a calculation on how much money they will plunder in the future. By unveiling a Tk 678,064 crore budget (for the financial year 2022-2023) they will now make an estimate on how much they'll plunder from there,” he observed.
Read: Quader welcomes new budget as pro-poor, business-friendly
The BNP leader said he is unwilling to talk much about the national budget as it will only widen the scope of plundering for the ruling party leaders and activists.
Fakhrul said the entire nation is passing through a bad time as those who usurped power and snatched all the rights of the country’s people. “Not only that they established a reign of plundering in the country.”
Earlier in the day, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal unveiled the Tk 678,064 crore national budget for the financial year 2022-2023 with a special focus on economic recovery from uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
This is the country’s 51st budget and the 23rd of the Awami League government in five terms.
Read: Universal Pension Scheme from new fiscal year
The proposed expenditure for the new fiscal year is 14.24 per cent higher than the revised budget for the outgoing fiscal year (Tk 5,93,500 crore). That amount of money is equal to 15.23 per cent of the total GDP of Bangladesh.
The size of the budget given by Kamal in the outgoing fiscal year was 12 per cent more than the revised budget in the fiscal year 2020-21 and was equal to 16.4 per cent of GDP.
Quader welcomes new budget as pro-poor, business-friendly
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has hailed the newly unveiled national budget as pro-poor, business-friendly and people-oriented.
He was speaking to reporters outside the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday after the presentation of the budget for FY2022-23 by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.
Read: Budget FY23: Kamal sees rising inflation as a major challenge
Quader said, "There is certainty in this budget as the social safety net has increased by TK 7,000 crore with expansion of the coverage.”
He said attention has been paid to the lower and middle classes in this budget considering all aspects. It's a budget for lower income people, he said in his instant reaction.
PM: Padma Bridge is confidence-booster for Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the successful construction of Padma Bridge has boosted self-confidence that Bangladesh can implement even larger projects in future.
“The decision for the construction of Padma Bridge with our own fund brightened the country’s image and the whole world has started to show respect towards Bangladesh,” she said.
The prime minister said this during a general discussion on a motion placed in Parliament to greet and thank her for the construction of the 6.15-km Padma Bridge.
The motion was passed unanimously by a voice vote following over six hours-long marathon discussion.
Chief Whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury brought the motion in the House under section 147 of the Rules of Procedure.
Hasina said the people of Bangladesh have gained knowledge over technology (to build such mega bridge). “In future, we’ll be able to do more improved and bigger task,” she added.
Lambasting the role of Dr Muhammad Yunus in canceling the World Bank’s funding for Padma Bridge project, the PM questioned how a person can make such a big harm to the country just for the lust of a post of managing director of a bank.
She also alleged that an editor (of a newspaper) was also involved closely in this matter.
“Dr Yunus and that editor emailed the World Bank time and again so that funding would be stopped….. Hillary Clinton was engaged in the matter,” she added.
In this connection, she said, ”They thought we would surrender to them. But I am the daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. I didn’t and will not bow down to anything unjust .”
The PM said she, her government and her family members and Cabinet members faced tremendous pressure, humiliation and false cases regarding the baseless corruption allegation that ultimately declared false by a Canadian court.
Explaining the rise of project cost compared with the design taken by the caretaker government back in 2007, Hasina said there was no rail line, electricity and gas supply lines in the previous project design.
Besides, the cost against land acquisition in the new design went up three times and the amount of acquired land was increased several times.
She also mentioned strong river training and construction of 100 percent bridge with navigation clearance and rise of length of the main bridge as reasons behind the higher project cost.
In his motion, the Chief Whip said, “Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, should be cordially congratulated and thanked on behalf of the nation through special discussion in Parliament for her courageous and firm leadership, unconditional love for the people and providing the nation the gift of Padma Bridge.”
He said the Prime Minister will open Padma Bridge, the much desired largest infrastructure project in the history of Bangladesh, on June 25, 2022. “This day will always be remembered as a glorious day in our national life,” he said.
Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the Padma Bridge on July 4, 2001 aiming to improve the living standards of more than three crore people of the country’s 21 southwestern districts.
“The 6.15-km bridge with four-lane highway and one lane railway is a reality today. It is a symbol of pride, self-confidence, ability and self-respect for Bengalis,” said Whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury.
He said it is none other than Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who deserves the credit for this achievement as she was uncompromising, steadfast and unwavering like her father in the construction of the Padma Bridge by ignoring hundreds of adversities, obstacles, baseless allegations and conspiracies of the World Bank.
“Sheikh Hasina did not bow her head to any pressure that day,” the chief whip added.
He said today Sheikh Hasina has opened the door to the immense potential of Bangladesh through the successful implementation of the Padma Bridge.
According to the economic survey, the implementation of the Padma Bridge project will increase the country's GDP by at least 1.23 percent per year, he added.
Awami League lawmakers Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Obaidul Quader, Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Shajahan Khan and Muhammad Faruk Khan; Jatiya Party lawmakers Kazi Firoz Rashid, Anisul Islam Mahmud and Fakhrul Imam; JaSod MP Hasanul Haq Inu; Workers Party MP Rashed Khan Menon; and BNP lawmakers Harunur Rashid and Rumeen Farhana, among others, participate in the discussion.
BNP blasts govt for inflicting ‘great misery’ on people
BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Wednesday alleged that the government has inflicted ‘great misery’ on the country’s people by increasing the prices of all essential and food items.
"The prices of gas, power and daily essentials have gone up. The government has inflicted great misery on people by hiking in the prices of the commodities,” he said.
Also read:BNP denounces attack on Saki as scandalous
Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader demanded the government take effective steps to lower the prices of daily necessities considering public sufferings.
Jatiyatabadi Swechchasebak Dal arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club, protesting soaring prices of daily essentials and issuing a death threat to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Gayeshwar, a BNP standing committee member, said the current government has got isolated from people and it will never be able to get elected with people’s votes.
He called upon their party leaders and activists to organise BNP followers and local people at the grassroots level to ensure the fall of the current regime through a movement.
“We have to do what is necessary to oust the government… The struggle of the people never goes in vain and never fails. People all around, regardless of party affiliation, are seeking the resignation of this regime,” the BNP leader said.
Gayeshwar also urged the BNP central leaders to concentrate on strengthening the party instead of only chanting various slogans to make the party men ready for a movement. “We have to take control over all the highways and roads of Bangladesh and all alleys of Dhaka city.”
Also read: BNP blames govt’s negligence for Sitakunda depot fire
He said the ruling party has been staying in power by destroying democracy, killing people and resorting to deception and plundering.
The BNP leader said they will now wage movement with only a demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “There is no other way but the removal of this government. You have to be ready for a street movement.”