"They (govt) are talking about development and GDP growth only to fool people. In practice, Bangladesh's economy is now in the most fragile state,” he said.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, Fakhrul said, "Not only that, the country's health system has collapsed while all other institutions have been destroyed in a planned way.”
BNP arranged the programme marking what it says the ‘National Revolution and Solidarity Day’ commemorating the ‘civil-military uprising' on November 7, 1975.
Fakhrul said the government has put the country’s independence at stake with its ‘misrule’ and subservient foreign policy. “The basic rights of people have been snatched while history is being distorted. They’re trying to restore the one-party Baksal rule they established during 1975.”
He said it is now the main responsibility of BNP to unite the whole nation and uphold the ‘spirit of November 7’ for consolidating independence and sovereignty and ‘restoring’ democracy.
The BNP leader also urged the people of all walks of life and political parties to get united to establish the rule of people and ensure their rights through a credible election under a neutral government and Election Commission defeating the ‘evil forces’.
He strongly condemned and protested the obstacles created to their party’s programmes in different districts marking the November 7.
Speaking at the programme, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the government obliterated the spirit of both the Liberation War and the November 7. “We must restore this spirit by restoring democracy.”
"Also, we’ll have to bring back people’s ownership of the country and consolidate our independence and sovereignty. We must have an independent foreign policy and strengthen our economy… BNP, the party founded by Ziaur Rahman, has to take the responsibility for implementing the spirit of the Liberation War and the spirit of November 7,” he added.
Another BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said the government has been doing politics over the last 11 years resorting to lies and distorting history. “This’s very unfortunate. Like the Goebbels, the ruling party is repeatedly trying to prove lies to be truth by spreading lies and false propaganda.”
He said Awami League has long been trying to malign BNP founder Ziaur Rahman by carrying out a false campaign and distorting facts. “We need to inform the new generation the truth. No matter how many lies are told, Shaheed Zia will remain immortal in Bangladesh’s history for proclaiming independence and his role in the formation of the nation after November 7, 1975.”
BNP standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman, Kalyan Party Chief Major General (retired) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim and economist Prof Mahbubullah, among others, spoke at the programme.
Also read: Govt pushing country towards “darkness”: BNP