Politics
Lockdown locked poor’s livelihood path: BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday alleged that every path of livelihood of the poor and working people have been shut by enforcing the countrywide strict lockdown in an ‘unplanned way’.
“The government's unplanned and inhumane decision of the lockdown has stalled the lives of crores of people who live from hand to mouth,” he told a virtual press conference.
The BNP leader said, “Imposing a strict lockdown without ensuring minimum food aid and cash support for the poor is by no means can be a logical decision, and it won't be fruitful. To implement the lockdown, its pre-conditions have to be fulfilled first.”
He also presented their party’s demands for taking five effective and coordinated steps, including the formation of a national emergency advisory committee, to contain the spread of the coronavirus across the country.
The party’s other demands include providing the needy people with adequate food and at least Tk 15,000 as one-time cast support, encouraging people to stay inside, wearing masks and maintaining health safety rules, bringing 80 percent people under vaccination through a specific roadmap, taking effective steps to manufacture vaccines in Bangladesh and ensuring proper treatment of the Covid-infected patients by increasing oxygen supplies, ICU and corona beds and necessary medical equipment.
Also read: Buy Covid vaccines urgently with money from mega projects: BNP
“Although it’s too late, a national emergency advisory committee comprising health experts, all political parties, NGOs and social organisations should be formed in the country immediately,” Fakhrul said.
He said these five steps should be set as the main targets for controlling the virus. “We need to remember that the fight against Corona is a long-term war.”
The BNP leader said the government should allocate Tk 10,000 crore for helping the poor and day-labourers during the lockdown. “This is the only way to make the lockdown effective and keep the poor at home.”
Narrating the incident of ‘committing suicide’ out of hunger amid lockdown by day-labourer Din Islam in Munshiganj, Fakhrul said the cash or food aid programme should have been on the government's priority list to help the poor and needy people to lead the normal life.
He said it seems that the Corona has come as a “blessing” for the ruling as they are indulging in misappropriation of cash and relief items allocated for the extremely poor.
Also read: Govt distorting Liberation War history: BNP
The BNP leader said the finance ministry identified that the names of 1,433,000 people on the list of 50 lakh who were provided money through mobile phones are fake.
Referring to a newspaper report, he said at least two millionaires have been given relief materials in Jhenaidah.
“You know all the stories of mega corruption in mega projects…the government can now allocate money from those projects to save lives. But they’re not doing that.”
BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuk, among others, spoke at the press conference.
Increase oxygen supply, Corona beds: PMO
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Thursday directed the authorities concerned to increase oxygen supply and corona beds in hospitals across the country to ensure the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Read:4 Covid patients die in Pabna hospital amid oxygen crisis
The PMO also urged those who are showing Covid-19 symptoms to stay home and directed the local administration to make sure that the patients with corona symptoms are kept in isolation.
The directives came from an urgent meeting held virtually with divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to work out measures to protect the public health and ensure coordination in the ongoing government activities to check the transmission of coronavirus in the country.
Read: Quader sees no oxygen crisis
The PMO issued the directives at a time when Bangladesh is struggling with a catastrophic second wave of the Coronavirus leaving hospitals across the country overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients.
PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus joined the meeting from the PMO end and presided over it.
Read:Oxygen crisis: Probe committee gets more time to investigate deaths at Satkhira hospital
Senior Secretary of Health Services Division Lokman Hossain Miah and PMO Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, among others, attended the meeting.
Still with BNP despite discomfort: Hafiz
Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, who took part in the Liberation War as a Z Force member under Ziaur Rahman, on Wednesday, expressed frustration over his current position in the BNP.
“Among the army officer in the Z Force, four were in the BNP. Of them, Colonel Akbar Hossain passed away. The two others-- Colonel Oli Ahmed and Major Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury-- left the party. “I'm the only one still surviving with a lot of discomforts,” he said.
Hafiz, a BNP vice chairman, came up with the remarks while speaking at a virtual discussion, marking the formation of Z Force in 1971.
BNP’s national committee on the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the country’s independence arranged the programme. The Z Force was the first military brigade of Bangladesh Forces formed on July 7 during the Liberation War under then Major Ziaur Rahman.
Hafiz said the Z Force was the first and full brigade of the Liberation War with three infantry battalions. “The Z Force was a strong brigade of the Bangladesh Army who played a very glorious role in the battlefield. The Z Force had won the most gallantry awards in the War of Independence. The number of martyrs was the highest from the Z Force.”
Also read: Govt distorting Liberation War history: BNP
Hafiz bemoaned that though BNP had been in power for different terms, it did not duly recall the role of the Z Force. “When we stay in power, we remain busy flattering the living leaders. When we’re in power, the name of Z Force was not recalled.”
He thanked BNP’s committee on the Golden Jubilee celebration for arranging the programme, commemorating the formation of the Z force.
BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Selima Rahman, among others, spoke at the programme.
Hafiz has some sort of distance with BNP top leaders as he worked as the secretary general of a faction of BNP-led by Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and other reformist leaders during military-backed caretaker government in 2007.
He, however, returned to the mainstream BNP later and h was again made a party vice-chairman.
Hafiz has been holding the post of the party vice-chairman for 22 years, though many of his junior leaders became the party standing committee members. Though there were speculations at different times about inducting him into the party policymaking body, it still did not happen.
Also read: Buy Covid vaccines urgently with money from mega projects: BNP
On December 14 last year, BNP sent a show-cause notice, signed by Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, to Hafiz for his remarks on party senior leaders.
Hafiz had an initial plan to quit the party, but he changed the decision following an understating with the party high-ups.
At a press confrere on December 19, he termed untrue the allegations that mentioned in the show-cause notice served on him and said he felt insulted as the party senior joint secretary general issued it in an “attacking language that goes against courtesy and protocol”.
"As a war-wounded and gallantry-award-recipient freedom fighter, I’m shocked to receive a show-cause notice with untrue allegations in a disrespectful language on the Martyred Intellectuals Day in the month of Victory,” he told the press conference.
Govt distorting Liberation War history: BNP
BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Wednesday alleged that the government is trying to mislead people by distorting the Liberation War history as part of its move to hang onto power.
“Those who have been in power for over 12 years in a fascist manner are confusing the new generation and people by completely distorting the history of the Liberation War just to consolidate its power,” he said.
Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, came up with the allegation at a virtual discussion arranged by BNP’s national committee on the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Independence, marking the formation of Z Force in 1971.
The Z Force was the first military brigade of Bangladesh Forces formed on July 7 during the Liberation War under then Major Ziaur Rahman.
Also read: Govt trying to ‘obstruct’ Khaleda's treatment abroad: BNP
Mosharraf said when BNP leaders talk about the real history, the ruling party leaders suffer from heartburns and make negative remarks. “If the new generation knows the real history of the Liberation War and the history of 50 years of independence, the Awami League will have no ground to do politics in this country and the party’s existence will be at stake. That’s why they’re distorting the history of the Liberation War.”
Describing BNP as the party of freedom fighters, he said the party has the responsibility to present the real history before the new generation to show them the right direction and right path.
He said their party wants to build a happy, prosperous, democratic and self-reliant Bangladesh being imbued with the sacrifices of the freedom fighters.
Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram, one of the army officers of the Z Force, said all know Zia as a President, but he was a tactical warrior, a brilliant commander in the military arena of the Liberation War. “I remember with deep respect my commander Ziaur Rahman.”
Also read: Buy Covid vaccines urgently with money from mega projects: BNP
He said the Z Force was the first and full brigade of the Liberation War with three infantry battalions. “The Z Force was a strong brigade of the Bangladesh Army who played a very glorious role in the battlefield. The Z Force had won the most gallantry awards in the War of Independence. The number of martyrs was the highest from the Z Force.”
Hafiz bemoaned that though BNP had been in power for different terms, it did not duly recall the role of the Z Force. “When we stay in power, we remain busy flattering the living leaders. When we’re in power, the name of Z Force was not recalled.”
He thanked BNP’s committee on the Golden Jubilee celebration for arranging the programme, commemorating the formation of the Z force.
Buy Covid vaccines urgently with money from mega projects: BNP
BNP on Monday called upon the government to procure Covid vaccines on an emergency basis by diverting money allocated for mega projects as the pandemic has turned critical in the country.
“Our specific proposal is to identify the corona crisis as the number one problem at the national level and buy vaccines on an emergency basis by diverting required money from other sectors, especially from the money allocated for mega projects,” said party standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.
Speaking at a virtual press conference, he also said it is necessary to procure vaccines from different sources, including pharmaceutical companies, across the world. “We must take steps to collect crores of jabs immediately and then it will be possible to contain the virus in four-six months.”
Also read: Lockdown just ‘eyewash’, says BNP
Mosharraf, also a former health minister, said it is the responsibility of the government to buy vaccines and protect people from deadly virus infections and fatalities. “If they fail to do so, they must step down shouldering the responsibility for their failures.”
He said their party is deeply worried over the current corona situation. “We condemn the government’s failure to tackle the corona situation.”
The BNP leader demanded the government made public its plans to deal with corona and the roadmap for the collection of vaccines and their proper distributions. “BNP believes that the only way to control the situation is vaccination of 70-80 percent of the country's population as soon as possible. The government must take immediate steps to procure adequate vaccines and inform people about its roadmap on it.”
He alleged that people are dying and getting infected with the virus alarmingly due to the government’s negligence, corruption and failures to control the situation. “We do not see any sign of improvement in the situation until most people are vaccinated.”
Also read: Vaccines start arriving in fulfilment of prime minister’s commitment, says Quader
Mosharraf also urged the country’s people to wear masks and maintain the health safety rules to keep them protected from the virus.
He said the virus situation has come under control in the countries where 70/-80 percent of the population has been vaccinated. “But only 2.5 percent or 42, 81,776 have so far received two doses of vaccines in Bangladesh till June 27 due to the government’s utter diplomatic failure, irregularities in the purchase of vaccines and its waywardness.”
BNP vice-chairman DR AZM Zahid Hossain, party chairperson’s adviser Dr Farhad Halim Donar, Doctors Association of Bangladesh’s president Prof Harun Al Rashid, secretary general Dr Abdus Salam and BNP’s health affairs secretary Rafiqul Islam also spoke at the press conference.
Also read: Ensure treatment of Covid patients: BNP
BNP hits back at PM over her remarks on Zia, Khaleda
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday termed ‘unexpected, indecent and devoid of political etiquettes’ the Prime Minister's statements in parliament about Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia and BNP.
“Sheikh Hasina’s statements as the Leader of the House were nothing but tasteless and cooked-up ones,” he said at a virtual press conference.
Fakhrul alleged that the Prime Minister tried to demean BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia with her ‘imaginary’ remarks in parliament on Saturday.
“The nation doesn’t expect such statements from the Leader of the Parliament. We think she’s set a bad example as the Leader of the House. We strongly condemn and protest her statements,” he observed.
The BNP leader said their party standing committee at a virtual meeting on Saturday condemned Law Minister Anisul Haq’s remark in parliament that Khaleda Zia has to first confess to her corruption offences and then applied to the President seeking clemency to go abroad for her treatment. “His comment is audacious and indecorous.”
Read: Khaleda temporarily released after over 25 months
“The meeting thinks Khaleda Zia has been convicted and sent to jail in false and fabricated cases out of political vengeance. She’s not even granted bail, though almost all the other accused of such charges got bail,” he said.
Fakhrul said Khaleda was temporarily shifted to her Gulshan residence from jail in March last year through an administrative directive following an application by her family. “There’s nothing mentioned in the laws that the government cannot allow her (Khaleda) to go abroad for treatment.”
He said it can never be acceptable that a three-time former prime minister cannot be allowed to go abroad for treatment on humanitarian grounds.
The BNP leader said there is a scope for the government to permit the BNP chief to go abroad under Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) if it wants. “In fact, they (govt) are curtailing their own power to show a hostile attitude towards Khaleda Zia.”
He said their standing committee hopes the government will allow the BNP chief to receive treatment abroad coming out of its negative attitude towards her.
Sought his comment on Awami League General Secretary Obadiah Quaver’s statement that many BNP leaders are trying to join the ruling party, Fakhrul said the government never succeeded in its effort to split and weaken BNP.
He also said BNP will not be affected much even if some of its leaders leave the party since it enjoys popularity.
Read: Khaleda subjected to “state repression”: BNP
Earlier, speaking at a virtual discussion, Fakhrul wondered as the health minister is not resigning from the Cabinet in the face of huge criticisms by MPs in parliament.
“What a shameless person this health minister is! MPs from his party and from the opposition have raised voices against him in parliament, but he’s not stepping down. It seems he has no sense of shame,” he observed.
Pro-BNP faction of the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) arranged the virtual discussion on press freedom.
Fakhrul said the government is trying to regulate press freedom by ‘abusing’ the Digital Security ACT (DSA).
He said journalists are being repressed and harassed by implicating them in cases under the DSA if they criticise the government or write anything against it.
Wake up for movement: Fakhrul to youths
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday called upon the youth to wake up and reinforce the movement for the 'restoration’ of democracy.
“There’s no alternative to a movement if we want to restore the democratic system in Bangladesh, materialise the dream of the 1971 independence and fulfil the aspirations of people,” he said.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, he said, "I would like to call upon the youth to come forward as time is running out fast. You’ve to wake up and save the country and its people.”
BNP’s national committee on celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Independence arranged the programme commemorating the day of detention of Khaleda Zia along with her two sons by Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War.
Also read: Shun infighting first to launch oust-govt movement: Fakhrul to BNP leaders
Fakhrul said they want to carry out the movement not in the interest of any individual or any party as it is meant for freeing the nation from the grasp of the current ‘regime which is destroying’ all the achievements of the nation.
He said their party chairperson Khaleda Zia was sent to jail as she tried to ‘restore’ democracy and people’s all lost rights.
The BNP leader said their party’s over 500 leaders and activists have been made disappeared and lakhs of others have been implicated in different cases. “So, BNP must play the leading role in changing the prevailing situation of the country.”
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they decided to observe the day of Khaleda’s detention by the Pakistani forces since the government has been trying to distort the history of the Liberation War to mislead the young generation.
Also read: Get ready for movement: Fakhrul to BNP followers
He alleged that Awami League wants to undermine Zia and Khaleda getting scared of the ‘huge popularity’ of BNP.
Another BNP standing committee member, Mirza Abbas, said Awami League does not want to hold a fair and credible election as the party has no popularity. “That’s why the party is now trying to shift the NID from the Election Commission to the Home Ministry to cement its power.”
He said people are getting ready to bring a change in power by ensuring the fall of the current government.
BNP standing committee members Jamiruddin Sircar, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, among others, addressed the programme.
No reason to seek presidential clemency by Khaleda: BNP
BNP on Thursday said there is no reason to seek clemency from the President by its chairperson Khaleda Zia since she did not commit any crime.
"There’s no question of seeking pardon as she (Khaleda) has not committed any crime. The Law Minister’s remarks (on confessing Khaleda’s corruption offences) reflect the nefarious political motives of the fascist government, which is nothing but a foul play,” said party organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince.
Read: Khaleda temporarily released after over 25 months
On Wednesday, Law Minister Anisul Haq in parliament said Khaleda Zia has to confess first to her corruption offences and then seek pardon from the President to go abroad for her treatment.
Prince said the Law Minister’s comments on Khaleda also manifest the government’s political vengeance and an attempt to control and pollute politics. “We strongly protest the statements made by the law minister in parliament.”
He said the BNP chairperson has been suffering from serious heart, kidney and liver complications, and receiving treatment at her Gulshan residence since she was discharged from Evercare Hospital in the capital.
The BNP leader said the medical board formed at the Evercare Hospital for Khaleda’s treatment recommended sending her to an advanced centre abroad. “We urged the government to shun political vengeance and not to create any barrier to sending three-time former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia abroad for advanced treatment.”
He also refuted the law minister’s comment that there is no scope to reconsider a fresh application of Khaleda’s family to send her aboard under Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) since it has been disposed of earlier. “The government can do it if it wants to under Section 401 of the CrPC.”
Read: Khaleda subjected to “state repression”: BNP
Prince alleged that the government has been trying to push Khaleda towards death by creating obstacles to ensuring her advanced treatment. "We would like to say the government has to shoulder all the responsibilities if anything bad happens to Khaleda Zia.”
On June 19, Khaleda Zia got back home from the capital’s Evercare Hospital after 53 days of treatment for Covid infections and other physical complications.
The 76-year-old BNP chief, who tested positive for Covid-19 on April 11, was admitted to Evercare Hospital on April 27.
She tested negative for Covid-19 on May 8, 27 days after she had been infected with the deadly virus.
Her family submitted an application to the government on May 6 seeking permission to send her abroad for advanced treatment, but it was turned down.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year.
No rule of law in Bangladesh, says BNP MP Rumeen
BNP MP Rumeen Farhana alleged in Parliament on Wednesday that police stations in the country do not want to register complaints of families of those who are subjected to enforced disappearances for lack of rule of law in the country.
Speaking on a cut-motion on Law Ministry, she said three people — trader Noman, madrasa student Nasim and mosque Imam Shohidul in Narayanganj’s Araihazar -- remained missing for nearly a month.
Having failed to get any cooperation from local police stations, Rumeen said the family members of the three missing men held a press conference in the capital seeking the whereabouts of their near ones. “Nothing can be known yet about their whereabouts and there’s no discussion about it since they aren’t celebrities.”
She said Bangladesh was supposed to present a report on the country’s human rights situation to the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) in 1999, but the report was placed nearly 20 years later under immense pressure.
She said CAT expressed deep concern over the incidents enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killing, torture, snatching individual’s freedom, taking bribes and some other issues of Bangladesh after the report was submitted.
Also read: Two BNP central leaders quit
Besides, the BNP female MP said a report of the US State Department says that the government or its agents are involved in extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance and torture on people while journalists and others are being harassed and arrested willfully.
She said the UN and other international rights bodies repeatedly urged the government to take specific steps to prevent repression and violation of human rights by the law enforcers. “A few months back they made the same call.”
Rumeen said every incident of enforced disappearance, repression on Hefazat activists, taking confessional statements by force, extrajudicial killing, torture on common people by law enforcers are crimes against humanity. “These incidents also manifest how a state has collapsed.”
She said these incidents cannot happen at a regular interval if there is minimum rule of law, judiciary and minimum values of democracy in the country.
Later, Law Minister Anisul Huq slammed Rumeen for raising the issues irrelevantly.
Also read: AL changing democratic structure: BNP
“Rumeen Farhana seems to have forgotten that I’m the law minister. We’re here talking about the issues of the Law Ministry. Everything she said was a matter for the Home Ministry, but she has imposed those on me.”
The minister said the BNP MP raised the issue as she got a chance to speak. “I would like to tell her not to make irrelevant comments.”
Later, speaking on a cut-motion on the Education Ministry, Rumeen said though the issues are relevant to the Home Minister, the Law Minister went to the UN and responded to these questions before the CAT. “But now he has imposed these issues on the Home Minister.”
She said new universities are being set up through enacting laws, but it is necessary to think about the standards of those universities and their teachers.
Stating that the UK-based QS published the world university ranking 2021, the MP bemoaned that neither Dhaka University nor Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) are there in the list of 800 prime universities.
Rumeen also criticised the government for keeping the educational institutions shut for a long time showing an excuse of coronavirus when everything is open.
Quader urges party members to help people during lockdown
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has asked members of his party and allied bodies to stand by the helpless people during the strict lockdown due to be imposed on Thursday.
Quader was speaking virtually at a function marking distributing Covid health and safety products to 30 boarder districts and upazilas.
The distribution was organized by the party's relief and social welfare sub-committee at the Awami League president's political office in Dhanmondi this morning.
Saying that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has successfully tackled the first wave of corona by balancing between life and livelihood, Quader called for everyone’s cooperate in implementing her practical and timely initiative to manage the ongoing second wave.
Also read: Violation of lockdown rules to invite legal action, warns DMP
Coroner infections are now at high risk, the Awami League general secretary said, adding that high-level infections have spread from border districts to the capital, spreading to rural areas.
Quader said that it is necessary to take utmost measures for the safety of all.
He said there is no alternative to fully mask up to ward off the infections. The slightest negligence towards hygiene can cause death.
Mentioning that the Sheikh Hasina government has decided to impose strict restrictions from July 1 as per the advice of experts for the protection of the people, Quader called urged all to stay home for their own good.
Also read: Govt outlines restriction rules ahead of ‘tough’ lockdown
The Awami League leader said the prime minister always takes right decision in times of crisis and disaster.
Quader also called upon all to have confidence in the steps being taken by the prime minister to deal with the situation.
He said opposition BNP is merely spreading confusion among the people about government’s mass vaccination programme.
Jahangir Kabir Nanak, the party’s presidium member, presided over the function. Organizing Secretary Mirza Azam, SM Kamal Hossain, Relief and Social Welfare Secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Barrister Biplob Barua, Health Secretary Dr Rokeya and Human Resources Secretary Samsunnahar Champa, Central Executive Member Syed Abdul Awal Shamim and Relief Sub-Committee Member Dr. Hedayetul Islam Badal were also present.