BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday voiced concern that people are going to face a starving-like situation due to price hike of daily essentials and fuel oil. “The prices of diesel and kerosene have abruptly been hiked by Tk 15 per litre. Where’ll common people go now?’’ he questioned. Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader also said the fuel prices have been raised when the prices of essentials are skyrocketing. “So, the prices of essentials will double now. A situation has created that the ordinary people will now starve to death without nutrition.” Also read: Govt’s logic behind fuel price hike ‘unacceptable': Fakhrul Tariqul Islam Smriti Sangsad arranged the programme at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, marking the third death anniversary of late minister and BNP standing committee member Tariqul Islam. Fakhrul also said commuters are going through sufferings due to the ongoing transport strike enforced in protest against the fuel price hike. Under the current circumstances of the country, he said, there is no alternative for people to oust the current regime for establishing a pro-people government and parliament. “Let’s get united to achieve this goal and defeat Awami League government by taking to the streets together with people.” As people have started waking up and raising their voices to realise their voting and other rights, the BNP leader said the government is creating different issues to mislead the nation. He alleged that the current government has been working in a planned way to turn Bangladesh into a “failed and subservient” state dependent on others. Fakhrul said the government has been taking mega projects in the name of development in a bid to make Bangladesh indebted with loans. “If we look around us we’ll see nothing but corruption, plundering and theft.” Also read: BNP extends support to transport strike He said 84 ruling party leaders and supporters died in violence over the last seven months centring the Union Parishad polls. “They (AL leaders) themselves are getting involved in internal feuds in absence of opposition parties. They’re indulging in looting, infighting and creating various problems, but cases are being filed against BNP leaders and activists.” Fakhrul alleged that the ruling party itself incited the communal incidents during Durga Puja of the Hindu community members, but cases have been filed against hundreds of BNP leaders and activists. “This is their old style to suppress their opponents ahead of any national election. They did the same thing during the 2018 election.” Fakhrul’s annoyance At the beginning of his speech, Fakhrul got annoyed as unruly party leaders and activists were chatting with each other, creating chaos. As he failed to stop them from creating noise with repeated warnings, the BNP secretary general got angry and sat down in his seat from the podium declining to continue his speech. Later, he returned to the podium as the BNP activists stopped talking. Fakhrul asked the BNP activists to know how to exercise restraint and control themselves. “Otherwise, we won’t be able to achieve anything.” Earlier, party leaders Shamsuzzamn Dudu and Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal also frequently requested their party followers to keep silent but failed to stop them from creating noise. Meanwhile, a windowpane at the main gate of the meeting venue was damaged as BNP leaders and activists were scrambling to get out of the auditorium altogether hurriedly after the end of the programme.

Skinny, hungry, fleeing threats of violence, thousands of people who have been hiding in rural areas of Ethiopia’s Tigray region have begun arriving in a community that can barely support them — and more are said to be on the way.