Criticizing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her remarks on the demolition of around 300 houses under the Ashrayan-2 Project, the BNP standing committee alleged that now “corruption is backed by the state”.

The Prime Minister’s remark on having the list of those who damaged the houses of gift is tantamount to backing the corruption of Awami League-backed contractors and partisan bureaucrats in the construction of houses under the Ashrayan-2 Project, BNP said.

At their weekly virtual meeting on Saturday, the BNP policymakers also said the Awami League government is giving corruption an “institutional shape” in all spheres of the state.

Read: BNP criticizes PM for her Ashrayan house remarks

“The meeting sharply criticised the Prime Minister's remarks (on the Ashrayan hoses),” said a press release on Sunday.

On Thursday, the Prime Minister alleged that some people damaged the houses, given by her government to the homeless as a gift for Mujib Borsho, with hammers and shovels and the media published photos of those broken houses.

Hasina said she has got the full details of the culprits, including their names and others, after an investigation.

The BNP standing committee members also strongly protested and denounced the gunning down of a Bangladeshi citizen, Shahibar Rahman, by Indian Border Security Force along the Dantbhanga border in Kurigram's Roumari upazila on September 4.

They alleged that it has never been possible to take effective action against all these killings due to the government’s "knee-jerk’’ foreign policy.

Read: BNP calls for simultaneous anti-govt movement

In no country in the civilized world, people are shot dead in this way along the border. It’s against international law, they observed.

The BNP standing committee meeting urged the government to take effective measures to force the Indian authorities to refrain from such heinous killings.

It also condemned the statement of State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Md Murad Hasan on removing the museum named after Ziaur Rahman at the old circuit house in Chattogram. “People will never accept such a decision.”

The meeting protested the recent arrest of opposition leaders and activists and demanded their immediate release after withdrawing all false cases filed against them.