BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said people will never forgive Awami League as it has become a ‘repressive’ political party.

“Awami League is exploiting the country and its people in collaboration with some individuals and bureaucrats,” he said.

Talking to journalists at Kalibari residence here, the BNP leader said the Awami League, which once had struggled for establishing people’s rights and democracy, is now repressing people and snatching their rights.

He said the ruling party leaders are now indulging in widespread corruption deviating from the party’s old tradition and stance on democracy since it has got isolated from people. “Now it has no relation with people’s hopes and aspirations.”

READ: Fakhrul takes dig at AL, says now ‘bureaucrats running’ country

Fakhrul said bureaucrats now “own assets worth crores of taka. A police inspector has 18 houses in Dhaka city alongside having more houses abroad. If a police officer can amass such wealth, then you think about the condition of the entire system,” the BNP leader said.

“Now people aren’t getting justice. They’re being deprived of their rights. But Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader regularly says many things only to appease his leaders,” he observed.

Fakhrul said their party has only one demand for arranging a credible election under a neutral government and the impartial Election Commission. 

He said their party is in negotiations with the opposition parties to wage a united movement to ensure the fall of the current government and establish a pro-people government. “We’re taking preparations for that movement.”

READ: AL 'tainted' independence by distorting history: Fakhrul

Replying to a question about BNP’s position on Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Fakhrul said it is an internal matter of Afghanistan. “Afghanistan will run the way its people want. But I would like to say one thing that we don’t support any fundamentalism, militancy and extremism.”

The BNP leader said their party hopes that whichever government comes to Afghanistan, they will fulfill the hopes and aspirations of people and ensure their rights and work for their welfare.