The country’s resources are depleted due to the government’s all-pervading corruption as the ruling Awami League’s main principle is to indulge in graft and siphon off money abroad, alleged the BNP yesterday.
“There was a slogan in India — thieves are in every alley and lane and this leader [I don’t want to mention anyone’s name] is a thief. Now our slogan is vote-thief Awami League’s principle is to indulge in corruption and money laundering,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Secretary General on the party, said.
Addressing at a rally, he said that the ruling party is not only a vote thief but also a thief of Bangladesh’s economy.
“The entire country and the economy have got devastated because of Awami League’s corruption. A government of people in true sense must be established by removing the corrupt one.”
Presenting a detailed account of the government’s corruption, the BNP leader said, “The corruption of the Awami League is the epicentre of today’s problems. It is not that we are saying rather Economist reported on this issue a few days back.”
Fakhrul alleged that the government has destroyed all the democratic institutions of the country and turned it into a failed state.
“To stop corruption, there is no alternative of ousting the government.”
The BNP leader said that they along with the other parties and people of the country would force the current regime to quit and hold the next polls under a caretaker government by dissolving the parliament.
“An elected parliament and a government of elected representatives will be formed through that election.”
Fakhrul called upon party leaders and activists to get ready to intensify their ongoing movement.
“The government which has been in power by force without elections by using the state machinery must be forced to quit by applying our all strengths.”
Stating that their party’s 17 leaders and activists lost their lives in the ongoing anti-government movement since August 22 last year, he said there is no alternative for BNP to make the struggle a success to honour the sacrifices of the slain party men.
BNP’s Dhaka south and north city units arranged the rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.
The programme was also meant for registering the opposition parties’ protest against the ‘all-pervasive corruption by the Awami League government, rise in the prices of power, gas and essential items, and mounting pressure on the government to release BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia without any condition, essentially to drop the ‘false’ cases against her.
As part of a programme of the simultaneous movement, BNP also arranged rallies in all other metropolitan cities across the country.
Apart from BNP, Ganotantra Mancha, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, Gonoforum and People’s Party, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, Peshajibi Ganatantrik Jote, 12-party alliance, Bam Ganatantrik Oikya and LDP held separate rallies from in different areas of the capital.
Meanwhile, BNP leaders addressing a protest rally in Chattogram slammed the government’s policymakers for what they said enacting laws for capacity charges making room for power plants’ owners.
BNP’s standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, “Tk 90,000 crore money has been looted from public exchequer. To save the corrupted thieves from legal battles in future, the government has also enacted laws so that no one takes action against them. In the power sector, those who get license for generating power, all are AL men.”
Chattogram city unit BNP organised the one and half hour’s rally in front of BNP’s party office Nasiman Bhaban in Kazir Dewri area. Leaders and party workers with banners and posters gathered at the rally spot with sporadic procession.
