Mirza Abbas
Bomb blasts happening in Dhaka in BNP’s name is a plot: Mirza Abbas
BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Thursday alleged that an evil quarter has been exploding crude bombs with slogans in BNP’s name as part of a plot to have the opposition leaders and activists arrested in ‘false’ cases.
“We’re now seeing bomb explosions happening across Dhaka city with slogans in the name of BNP. Their aim is to get the BNP leaders arrested in any way,” he said.
Read more: BNP at IGP’s door; Seeks remedy for ‘fictitious’ cases
Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Abbas also claimed that a group within the government is spreading false propaganda centing the BNP rally in the capital on December 10 to mislead people.
“One thing is clear we want to hold the rally peacefully. We won’t create any chaos in our peaceful programme,” he said.
He said the government has got panicked unnecessarily over BNP’s rally. “We don't want any conflict as this is just our divisional rally.”
The BNP leader, however, alleged that the government has been indulging in serious suppressive acts centring the rally. “We’re not afraid of it. We’ve taken it as part of our rally.”
He said their party has been taking all-out preparations to make the Dhaka rally a success.
“Our leaders and activists are holding meetings across Dhaka Division. Preparatory meetings are also being held at Nayapaltan and Gulshan in Dhaka. We’ll hold the rally at Nayapaltan. People will come from outside to join it and we’ll do whatever is necessary to arrange the rally,” Abbas said.
Replying to a question, he said their party only sought Nayapaltan, not any other venue, for their December-10 rally.
Read more: Allow us to hold Dec 10 rally at Nayapaltan: Fakhrul
The BNP leader said their party had over a hundred rallies at Nayapaltan without any trouble earlier. “What would be the problem if we arrange the rally at Nayapaltan on December 10? Efforts are on to mislead our leaders and workers. But don't be confused.”
Asked what their party may do if it is not finally permitted to hold the rally at Nayapaltan, he said time will say what to do.
Our Barishal rally is a success, what did the govt gain by blocking everything?’
Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) standing committee member and one of the main speakers of the party’s divisional rally in Barishal said on Saturday that the presence of thousands of people at Bangabandhu Udyan amid all the obstacles proved how much these people loved the country and the party.
“I couldn’t talk to anyone on phone after coming to Barishal. The live telecast of our programme was disrupted due to an absence of internet services. Yet, the entire Barishal had become a city of meetings and processions. Our rally was successfully conducted after winning against all the odds. Now my question is, what did the government gain through blocking everything?” Abbas said.
Read more: AL trying to snatch votes again, just like they did in 2014 and 2018: Fakhrul
The BNP leader added that the incumbent government will completely ruin the country, unless they are removed from power through a free and fair election.
“We’ll never accept an election under the current government. Neither will we let anyone hold an election through electronic voting machines (EVM). The upcoming general election has to be held under a non-partisan caretaker government and through ballot papers, not other way around,” Abbas added.
Read more: Barishal's Bangabandhu Park already a sea of BNP leaders, activists
Mirza Abbas had terror links under BNP regime, says Sajeeb Wazed Joy
PM’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy said on Saturday that BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas was one of the four MPs of Dhaka under the BNP-Jamaat coalition government who maintained regular contact with top terrorists on behalf of Tarique Rahman.
“It was Abbas who fraudulently made the deeds of land worth Tk 800 crore in the name of the relatives, including brother and nephew, of the then Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her close aide Mosaddak Ali Falu,” Joy said in a Facebook post.
In his Facebook post headlined “BNP's regime 2001-2006: Unbridled corruption and reckless coercion-terror by Mirza Abbas” Joy claimed that during the last days of the BNP-Jamaat coalition government, the then Public Works Affairs Minister Mirza Abbas illegally leased two acres of railway land worth Tk 51 crores then, to an unnamed and fake association without tendering.
Abbas completed the entire process in just 14 days on instructions from Hawa Bhaban, Joy said. But the railway land is not under the Ministry of Public Works and it has no legal right to do so, he said.
In its list, the cooperative office could not find the name of the association that got the lease for 99 years, he said, quoting a report published by the daily Janakantha on July 28, 2007.
Read: BNP-Jamaat fielded '300 cadres' as local government election officers ahead of 2007 polls: Joy
The issue drew the attention of the Anti-Corruption Commission when the Railway authorities demanded to get the rightful possession of the land after the caretaker government came to power, he mentioned.
“It is known to be the last corruption of Mirza Abbas before BNP-Jamaat left power in October 2006. In just 14 days, possession of the land was confirmed with a cash deposit of Tk 1.46 crore from the fake association called Purbachal Cooperative Society,” Joy wrote in his verified Facebook page.
“The company that legally took the lease and was doing business on a portion of the railway land, was also uprooted by muscle power. The railway authorities protested the incident, but in vain due to the pressure from the cadres of Mirza Abbas,” the Facebook post reads.
Joy said it is an example of how the power of the terrorists bypassed the rules and regulations everywhere during the BNP regime. “BNP-Jamaat MPs and ministers continued to threaten and terrorise even government employees.”
Ready to take bullets, won’t leave the streets: Abbas
BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Monday said their party leaders and activists will rather take bullets in chest, but will not leave the streets until the fall of the current government.
Speaking at a rally in the city’s Segunbagicha area in the capital, he also said their party will come up with a different strategy of movement this time since law enforcers have resorted to firing at their peaceful programmes.
“We’ll reach a situation someday when processions and rallies will be held at every lane and locality of Dhaka, but you (govt) won’t be able to resist it. We’ll see how many police you have and how many activists we have. We won’t spare if anyone tries to shoot us,” the BNP leader said.
Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, alleged that their party has been obstructed from holding rallies by closing roads and traditional venues like Press Club and Paltan.
Also read: No non-partisan govt, EC won’t be abolished: Tofail Ahmed
“We won’t keep the streets only in your hands. We’ll surely take over the streets. The leaders of BNP and its student and youth wings have learned how to receive bullets. So, there’s nothing to be worried and we’ll take bullets in our chests, but won’t leave the streets until this regime is ousted,” he warned.
As part of BNP’s plan to hold 16 rallies in the capital in the current month, Shahbagh and Ramna zones of its Dhaka south city unit arranged the programme in protest against the increase in prices of essentials, fuel and transport fares and the killing of three opposition leaders in police firing.
Abbas said police shot dead Swechchasebak Dal leader Abudr Rahim, Chhatra Dal leader Noor-e-Alam in Bhola and Jubo Dal leader Shaon Prodhan in Narayanganj by attacking BNP’s programmes against the price hike in daily essentials.
He said BNP leaders and activists are now being implicated in many ‘false’ cases. “But we won’t give up so easily in the face of firing and cases.”
The BNP leader said the movement was carried out in a traditional process during the anti-Ershad movement in the 90s as there was no police firing at that time.
“Since firing (at our programmes) is going on, we’ll take a different strategy of the movement in a different way. The movement can’t go on always the same way. We’ll definitely take suitable measures based on the evolving situation,” he observed.
Abbas said Shaon, Rahim and Noor-e-Alam sacrificed their lives in the recent movement while many people in the past laid down their lives for the liberation of the country and for the protection of democracy.
Also read: Don’t antagonise people: BNP warns civil servants
“We’re also ready to sacrifice our lives to save the country and its independence and sovereignty. I promise you that I will be there on the frontline of the movement at the right time. But we want to ensure a safe future for our children. We can’t under any circumstances leave behind our new generation in the hands of a hyena-like regime of Awami League,” he said.
Abbas said the prices of essential commodities will not go down as long as the Awami League government is in power. “This regime has made the poor people poorer and those living abroad richer. Aziz Khan of Summit Group, a brother of (AL leader Farooq Khan) is one of the richest persons in Singapore. Many such rich people from a poor country (Bangladesh) are now among the richest men in many countries like Aziz Khan in Singapore.”
Faced with load-shedding people won’t take development tablets: Abbas
Stating that load-shedding can lead to the government’s fall, BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Monday said people of the country can no longer be fooled by development tablets.
"The government has long been feeding the people of Bangladesh with development tablets. It can’t talk about development by carrying out load-shedding. So, the development tablets now won’t work anymore,” he said.
Abbas was speaking at the council of Ramna and Shabagh thana units of Dhaka South City BNP at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh.
Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, said people of Sri Lanka are now vomiting after overeating the development tablets. “They now don’t take the development tablets. After ruining the country in the name of development, their president fled to Singapore."
Also read: Saving electricity: Bangladesh to begin daily one-hour staggered load-shedding from Tuesday
He said Awami League leaders have also worked out their escape routes in advance.
He said the government used to brag that there is no shortage of power as they could reach the electricity to people’s houses through the quick rental power plants.
“The government is now making contradictory comments as they’re going to introduce load-shedding from tomorrow (Tuesday). If this is the fact, then why did you set up quick rental by spending so much money?" the BNP leader asked.
He also said the owners of quick rental power plants will now get money sitting idle, no matter whether they generate electricity or not.
"If people have to endure load-shedding even after so much plundering of public money in the name of quick rental in the power sector, I think it can be the reason for the government's fall as the common people are becoming intolerant,” Abbas observed.
He also alleged that the country is now facing a serious crisis of dollars as the ruling party leaders indulged in widespread siphoning off money abroad.
Also read: BNP getting ready to oust govt, not to join polls under Hasina: Abbas
“It’s now being directed that if you have to import anything from abroad, then you have to take permission from the Bangladesh Bank. It is my liberty to business. I’ll open the LC and import goods by sending dollars. But why has our country no dollars? It’s happened due to siphoning off dollars abroad through the airport,” the BNP leader alleged.
Referring to newspaper reports, he said three-four billion dollars from Bangladesh are being deposited regularly in Swiss banks.” If my country's dollar goes to Swiss banks, how will the people of this country live?"
Abbas slammed Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal for his comments that contestants in elections should stand with a rifle or a sword if someone comes with a sword. “Only a stupid person can make such a remark,” he said.
“Can he (CEC) play the role of a referee? You can't do that either. Our position is clear that BNP won’t go to any election under such a worthless Election Commission" he said.
The BNP leader said a credible election is impossible under the Awami League government even if an election commission is hired from abroad as all the institutions, including police and administration, have been politicised.
He said the parliament must be dissolved, the Prime Minister has to quit and an independent Election Commission must be constituted to hold a fair and acceptable election in the country.
Abbas warned that they will take to the streets and besiege Bangabhaban or the Secretariat in the days to come to force the government to quit.
About the media report that a cargo plane carrying arms for Bangladesh from Serbia crashed in northern Greece, the BNP leader asked the government for whom they procured weapons.
BNP getting ready to oust govt, not to join polls under Hasina: Abbas
BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Saturday said their party is preparing for ousting the Awami League government, not for joining the national election under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“BNP is not getting ready for an election under Sheikh Hasina. Rather, we are preparing for ensuring the fall of this government,” he said.
Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader also said their party will no longer let the government continue its misrule and repressive acts.
Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal organised the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting the killing of its Jashore unit leader Badiuzzaman Dhani.
Read: BNP conspires to seize state power, says Obaidul Quader
Badiuzzaman Dhani, 42, senior vice president of Jashore District Jubo Dal was hacked to death by miscreants in Jashore town on July 12.
Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, said the government is trying to hush up the killers of Badiuzzaman by describing his murder as an outcome of intra-party conflicts.
“We would like to make it clear that this is not an internal feud. Awami League has carried out this murder incident to scare BNP workers,” he said.
“We don’t want to see any more killing. This time we’ll come up with resistance and protest. This government won’t be spared anymore,” the BNP leader said.
Mirza Abbas leaves for Singapore for treatment
Senior BNP leader Mirza Abbas left for Singapore on Tuesday morning for "advanced treatment of a stomach problem".
The BNP standing committee member, along with his wife and two sons, left for Singapore on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8.30am, his physician Dr Rafiqul Islam said.
"Mirza Abbas was undergoing treatment at Bangladesh Specialized Hospital. He was taken to Singapore for advanced treatment as his condition was not improving,” he said.
Also read: BNP leader Mirza Abbas hopitalised with abdominal pain
Dr Rafiqul, also the health affairs secretary of the country's main opposition party, said that Abbas will be admitted to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.
On behalf of the BNP politician's family members, Rafiqul urged the country’s people to pray for the speedy recovery of Abbas.
Earlier, on May 17, Abbas, also a former mayor of undivided Dhaka city and an ex-minister in Khaleda Zia's last cabinet, was admitted to the Bangladesh Specialized Hospital in the capital’s Shyamoli area with abdominal pain.
Also read: Mirza Abbas warns opposition parties against joining national polls under AL govt
BNP leader Mirza Abbas hopitalised with abdominal pain
BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas was admitted to a city hospital on Tuesday morning with abdominal pain.
Abbas, also a former mayor of undivided Dhaka city and an ex-minister in Khaleda Zia's last cabinet, was admitted to the Bangladesh Specialized Hospital in the capital’s Shyamoli area, said BNP’s health affairs secretary Dr Rafiqul Islam.
Also read:BNP leader Moyeen Khan hospitalised
He said Abbas was suffering from stomach aches since last night. “He was taken to the hospital in the morning as his condition worsened.”
Rafiqul said the BNP leader has already undergone some necessary medical tests and some specialist doctors have also been called from outside the hospital to ensure his proper treatment.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited Abbas in the hospital at noon.
Fakhrul talked to the doctors and enquired about the health condition of the BNP leader.
Also read: Khulna City mayor hospitalised
Later, the BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir went to the National Institute of Traumatology & Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor) to visit Natore district unit leaders of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal SM Mostafa Anam and Shafiqul Islam Sumon who were seriously injured in a recent attack reportedly by ruling party cadres.
Mirza Abbas warns opposition parties against joining national polls under AL govt
Issuing a warning to opposition parties, BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Thursday said those who will participate in the next national election under the current Awami League government will be considered as national traitors.
Speaking at a rally in the city, he also said their party will come up with a befitting reply if BNP leaders and activists are attacked by the ruling party men.
“Those who will join the election under the current regime will be considered as national traitors,” Abbas said.
He recalled that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as an opposition leader in 1986, said in Laldighi Maidan that those who would participate in the election under then military ruler HM Ershad would be the national traitors.
But, Abbas said Hasina herself joined that election despite her warning to others. “We’ll take action against both the government and those who will try to prove themselves as national traitors this time.”
Also read: AL wants EVM in next polls in new plot to rig votes: BNP
BNP Dhaka south and north city units arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting what the party said continuous attacks on opposition leaders by ruling party ‘cadres’ in different parts of the country including Cumilla.
Referring to different media reports on joining polls by opposition parties sharing seats with the ruling party, Abbas said they will not allow holding any such election.
“No election of seat-sharing will be held. No stage-managed election will be allowed in Bangladesh. Keep it in mind,” he warned.
The BNP leader strongly condemned and protested the recent attacks on the local residence of their party’s senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and on some other party leaders and LDP leader Redwan Ahmed.
“We would like to clearly say that if we’re again subjected to any attack and repression, we’ll put resistance together. No one will be spared,” he said.
BNP leader Mirza Abbas hospitalised
BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas was admitted to a city hospital early Wednesday with acute chest pain.
“Sir (Abbas) was taken to Evercare Hospital as he suddenly complained of chest pain,” said his personal assistant Asif Sohan.
BNP’s health affairs secretary Dr Rafiqul Islam said Abbas, a former mayor of undivided Dhaka city and an ex-minister in Khaleda Zia's last cabinet, was admitted to the hospital around 1:30am and then underwent some necessary medical tests.
Read: Deal with border killing as per international law: BNP
He said the BNP leader has been receiving treatment at the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of the hospital under cardiologist Shabuddin Talukder.
“His condition is now relatively better. He has been kept asleep,” Rafiqul said.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has also been receiving treatment at the CCU of the hospital since Saturday.
Read: Election only under neutral administration, says BNP