“The country is now facing a political crisis as the government has been in power usurping power…the nation had an expectation that a path for overcoming the crisis would be there in the Prime Minister’s speech,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He further said, “But the nation has got upset and angry as she neither said anything nor gave any hint about holding a fresh election under a neutral government and the Election Commission annulling that election (of Dec 30). She also didn’t give any hint for talks. This means she didn’t show the nation any path to get rid of the crisis.”
The BNP leader came up with the remarks while talking to reporters at the Jatiya Press Club.
Earlier on Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister addressed the nation on the occasion of the first anniversary of her government formed through the 11th parliamentary election.
Fakhrul said Sheikh Hasina made some incorrect comments in her speech, and what she said about the post-1975 situation in the country was completely opposite to her assertions.
He said the country had faced a serious famine before the 1975 because of the then Awami League government’s ‘misrule’. “Then US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had labeled Bangladesh as a bottomless basket.”
The BNP leader claimed that the country’s situation improved under the “able and competent leadership” of Ziaur Rahman after the 1975. “Bangladesh became a potential economy at that time from a bottomless basket.”
Fakhrul said the Prime Minister accused BNP of indulging in violence and terrorism. “But she’s forgotten that they enforced hartal for 173 days demanding caretaker government, and 11 people were killed in bus torching while many others died during the movement.“
He said though Sheikh Hasina urged people to keep trust in her, people cannot do that as they are passing through a miserable life while the economy is getting worse and banks are collapsing.
The BNP leader said the Prime Minister delivered the speech for her party leaders and activists so that they have a sense of complacency. “Her speech has demonstrated that they’re unable to understand people’s pulse as they’ve got detached from people.”