BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina repeatedly talks about a possible famine in Bangladesh next year as her government is losing control due to unbridled corruption and mismanagement.
Speaking to reporters at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office after talks with the National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Jamiat Ulama-e Islam, he said: “Nothing, including the administration, is now under the control of the government.”
As his attention was drawn to the prime minister’s warning about a possible famine in Bangladesh, Fakhrul said: “We also can’t understand why she is saying this and where the problem lies.”
He said only a few days back the government claimed that the country became self-sufficient in food. “What has happened now for which they fear that the county will face a food crisis? The main thing is massive corruption in every sector and everywhere, and now they can’t tackle it,” Fakhrul said.
The BNP leader alleged that the country has been witnessing extreme loadshedding only because of the government’s corruption. “They’re now facing problems to supply electricity, and corruption is the only reason behind it,” he said.
In such a situation in the country, he wondered how the government is now going to procure electronic voting machines (EVMs) at the cost of Tk8,000 crore to hold a staged election while Tk43 crore will be spent on constructing homes for the cabinet secretary and the principal secretary.
“So, what do you expect from this regime? It’s an unbelievable incident. Corruption is taking place in a similar way in every sector. That’s why they are facing such a situation and this regime has completely failed to run the state,” Fakhrul observed.
He alleged that the government has no management anywhere as corruption is everywhere. "As a result, the government's control over the whole administration has been completely destroyed.''
BNP rallies
Fakhrul said people’s massive response to BNP’s rallies in Chittagong and Mymensingh has spread panic among ruling party leaders and activists.
In Mymensingh, he said, the government imposed an undeclared curfew and created various obstacles which failed to prevent people from joining the rally.
The BNP leader alleged that the government filed false cases against their party’s 437 leaders and activists in Mymensingh using the police. “They won’t be able to stay in power by resorting to suppression, repression, killing, firing and enforced disappearance, no matter how powerful they are.”
Earlier, Fakhrul had separate meetings with delegations of the NDP and the Jamiat Ulama-e Islam, two components of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, as part of the party’s second round of political dialogue.
NDP Chairman KM Abu Taher and Jamiat Ulama-e Islam chief Moulana Monsurul Hasan led each 10-member delegations of their respective parties.
Through the discussions, Fakhrul said, they agreed on some demands of their coming simultaneous movement, including the ouster of the current government, restoration of democracy, unconditional release of Khaleda Zia and withdrawal of the false cases filed against opposition members and holding the next election under a neutral government. “We’ll initiate a simultaneous movement focusing on these issues.”
