BNP on Wednesday shared its concerns with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus over some recent untoward incidents and called for immediate action to address the issues.
A five-member BNP delegation, led by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, met the chief adviser and urged him to forge a national unity to tackle the evolving situation and counter the conspirators seeking to destabilise the country.
“The main purpose of our meeting was to convey our party’s concerns to the Chief Adviser regarding the recent developments, particularly the law-and-order situation in the past few days, the issues surrounding ISKCON, and the problems of students of some colleges,” said Mirza Fakhrul.
Talking to reporters after the over one-hour meeting held at the state guest house Jamuna, he said they also called upon the chief adviser to take steps for easing public sufferings.
“We hope that the Chief Adviser, along with his Advisory Council, will find solutions to these problems very soon so that no such situation arises again to create a division among people,” said the BNP secretary general.
He said the BNP delegation told the Chief Adviser that the greatest need at this moment is national unity.
"We face many significant challenges ahead, especially from those who pose a threat to the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh or seek to destroy the country's stability. We must build national unity to confront these challenges. This is what we conveyed during the meeting," the BNP leader said.
He also mentioned that they raised concerns about the public suffering caused by rising prices of essential items and urged the government to take action in this regard. "Overall, we have called for national unity through dialogue with all political parties."
He also said they suggested the government increase the number of trucks from the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) in different areas, so that commodities could be sold at subsidised rates.
Fakhrul said they also talked about the fertiliser distribution problem, pointing out that affiliates of the fascists are controlling it. "We have requested the government to ease this issue.”
The BNP leader said they also recommended maintaining normal industrial production and ensuring that workers’ salaries and allowances are paid regularly in the industrial areas.
BNP delegation to meet Chief Adviser this evening
He said they urged the government to take steps to withdraw all the false cases filed against the BNP and other opposition parties during the fascist Awami League regime.
The BNP Secretary General said they also called for the dissolution of the union Parishads like other local government bodies across the country.
Similarly, he said, they requested the government to dissolve the trade bodies and hold fresh elections to restore order.
Fakhrul said they also talked about the upcoming national election, demanding the government announce a clear roadmap. "We emphasised in our meeting with the Chief Adviser that the election is of paramount importance. We have urged him to provide the election roadmap as soon as possible, after completing the necessary reforms."
The BNP leader said the Chief Adviser listened to them attentively. "We believe they will take these matters seriously and act accordingly.”
The other members of the BNP delegation included party Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, and Salahuddin Ahmed.
Advisory Council members Hasan Arif, Adilur Rahman Khan and Mahfuj Alam were present.
CA’s Call
Later, briefing reporters, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere.
"There’s a concerted effort against us. During the meeting, the BNP conveyed a message for forging unity. The Chief Adviser also emphasised the importance of national unity among all groups, including students, the general public, and people of all faiths—Hindus, Muslims, and Christians," he said.
Alam said the government has taken all necessary steps to address the evolving problems.
He also mentioned that the meeting discussed the violence in Chittagong and called for national unity to address it. "The Chief Adviser sent a message of peace and urged everyone to remain calm.”