The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Sunday alleged that the ruling Awami League siphoned Tk 30,000 crore off the country during the past seven years of its rule.
Addressing a rally organised by BNP’s labour wing Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka marking the May Day,
she also urged prime minister Sheikh Hasina to bring her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy to book and to interrogate him about suspected transaction of $300 million in the United States if she was really the prime minister of the country.
Referring to Hasina’s allegation that BNP resorted to secret killing failing to go to power, Khaleda questioned whether any election took place in the country.
She said BNP did not want to go to power without election as the Awami League did.
Khaleda asked her arch political rival Hasina to quit power and hold election under a neutral government to test popularity.
She said that her party was demanding democracy as there would be no human rights, development, law and order, freedom of press and independence of judiciary without democracy.
On arrest of journalist Shafik Rehman, she said that he was arrested because he had collected documents about suspected transaction of $300 million and Sajeeb Wazed Joy.
As Khaleda asked the name of prime minister’s son, leaders and activists at the rally shouted ‘chor, chor’ (thief).
She told them that they had the right to call Joy a thief.
Khaleda said that police seized the documents from Shafik Rehman’s house, but copy those documents remained in a number of countries including the United States.
She asked the government to immediately release Shafik, acting Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman, journalist Shawkat Maumud and other leaders and activists.
Mentioning killings, Khaleda said that trial of not a single incident of killing took place as the Awami League was involved in the killings.
She alleged that the government was patronising killing and enforced disappearances.
She censured the government for promoting Rapid Action Battalion officer Colonel Zia to the rank of Brigadier and posting him as National Security Intelligence director ‘for more killing and enforced disappearance.’
She said that Zia was promoted as he had killed many people at the order of the government.
Referring to Panama Paper leaks, Khaleda said that names of some Bangladeshis were published and more names of big fishes were supposed to be exposed.
She said efforts were going on to stop publishing others names.
Khaleda said that the government was ranting on about development but in the name of development they were stealing public money and siphoning them off the country.
Apart from workers, many leaders and activists of BNP and its front and associate organisations from the capital and adjacent districts thronged the rally. Many units came with small processions carrying portraits of late president Ziaur Rahman, also the BNP founder, Khaleda and Tarique Rahman.
In her 51 minutes speech, Khaleda touched many issues including present political situation, law and order situation, repression of opposition, misrule and corruption and BNP government’s steps for welfare of workers.
She alleged that the workers who were injured and maimed in Rana Plaza collapse still did not get compensation while huge money was received for the compensation.
She said that the government was enacting laws to cling to power forever holding election remaining in power.
She termed the present Election Commission as ‘subservient’ ‘worthless’ and ‘spineless’ and said that fair election was never possible under this commission.
The BNP chairperson said that some quarters were claiming that BNP was going to be finished but huge leaders and activists thronged the rally braving scorching heat demonstrating that BNP would remain in the street with people.
She said that the government feared people and so they observed the May Day in an air-conditioned glass house.
Presided over by Sramik Dal president Anwar Hossain, the rally was addressed, among others, by BNP leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, ASM Hannan Shah, Jamiruddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Abdullah Al Noman, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Sramik Dal general secretary Nurul Islam Nasim.
Source: New Age
