AL leaders’ houses are now banks: Rizvi alleges

AL leaders’ houses are now banks: Rizvi alleges

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. File photo –

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday alleged that the ruling party leaders have developed personal banks and treasuries in their houses by depleting both the state-owned and private banks.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he doubted whether the recent drive against some clubs and ruling party leaders is mere eyewash as ‘big corrupts’ still remain out of touch, UNB reports.

“Awami League and Jubo League leaders have made banks and treasuries in their own houses after making banks in Bangladesh penniless. They’re keeping their surplus money at homes after siphoning off huge amount abroad,” the BNP leader alleged.

He said the ruling party leaders, including the small ones of its associate bodies, amassed huge ‘ill-gotten’ money by indulging in ‘corruption and plundering’.

“The entire country has got exhausted due to plundering, gambling, extortion, tender manipulation and other misdeeds by the ruling party leaders. There’s a question in public mind whether the sudden drive against corruption is eyewash to create a positive image of the government,” Rizvi quipped.

He alleged that no-one who is known to people as corrupt element has so far been arrested. “No-one of the godfathers of illicit drug trade and corrupts have been arrested yet. If hundreds of crores of Taka can be found at the office of a small leader of the ruling party’s associate body what can be the condition of its main leaders, ministers, and big fishes?”

The BNP leader said the ruling party leaders are running many casinos at different parts of the country, including 60 in the capital, and indulging in drug trading.

He also alleged that huge money is being plundered from different development projects. “Corruption is also limitless in the AL general secretary’s ministry. When barely Tk 28 crore is spent on constructing one kilometer of a four-lane road in other countries, Obaidul Quader has spent Tk 200 crore for it. This manifests how big fish are plundering public money.”

Rizvi criticised the ruling party leaders for accusing BNP founder Ziaur Rahman of introducing gambling culture in the country, saying Awami League senior leaders are only trying to mislead people and shift the blame of their misdeeds onto others with their unguarded remarks.