Fakhrul: AL is misleading people with lies

Ruling Awami League is spreading propaganda in many ways to confuse the people, alleges BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. “They have circulated propaganda against Chittagong BNP leader Shahadat Hossain. However, it is now clear that he is innocent. The people cannot be confused by such lies,” he told a press briefing at Chittagong Circuit House on Tuesday. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s motorcade had come under attack in Feni on Saturday when she was on her way to Cox’s Bazar to distribute aid among Rohingya refugees. After the attack, an online news portal had published a report along with an audio clip where a person by the name of Shahadat was heard instructing another person to launch the attack on the motorcade. The report, which went viral on social media, had said the man named Shahadat was the president of BNP’s Chittagong city chapter. Terming the news as baseless and fabricated, BNP leader Shahadat told reporters on Monday that the voice in the audio clip was not his. Addressing Tuesday’s press conference, Fakhrul said: “It is now clear that the ruling party wants to cover up the truth and is trying to destroy the established norms of democracy. “The journalists came under attack and their vehicles were vandalised in Feni. All of you (journalists) know who was behind it. The media has exposed the identities of the attackers.” “The ruling party men are evidently sheltering the criminals instead of taking action against them,” alleged Fakhrul, adding: “Time is not up yet. They should apologise for the assault and bring the attackers to justice.” Referring to the ongoing Rohingya influx to Bangladesh, Fakhrul said that BNP chief Khaleda had gone to Cox’s Bazar to see for herself the plight of the refugees. “We have been demanding more food and shelter facilities for the Rohingyas. At the same time, the government should mount more diplomatic pressure on Myanmar to resolve the crisis. However, the government is yet to do that,” he added.