Govt staging ‘militancy drama’ to prove a point to Western world, India, alleges Mirza Fakhrul

The government has been staging the “militancy drama” only to prove a point to the Western world and India, alleged Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general, on Tuesday.

He was speaking at a discussion marking 8th death anniversary of founder of a faction of Jatiya Party, Kazi Jafar Ahmed, at the auditorium of Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, in the capital.

“You have seen a few days ago … some innocent people from a locality were picked up saying they were militants arrested from deep inside a jungle. They need to do this as they want to show there is militancy and are militants in Bangladesh … only they are needed to curb this. This is their prime objective and they want to show this to the Western world and India,” said Mirza Fakhrul

The BNP secretary general further said, “We know them as militants … militant Awami League, this government is militant. Now they are killing general people, snatching their rights and destroying everything by forcing terrorism and militancy on them.”

Mentioning the incident of picking up Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leaders from their house by intelligence agency members and filing arms cases against them after 48 hours, Mirza Fakhrul said, “You have read in newspapers … there were three arms. If you see the arms, it would seem that those were kept hidden for 20-25 years. This is false propaganda, an attempt to make fool of people.”

Mirza Fakhrul said, “All of our political parties, those who are present here and those who are outside, and those who have been waging simultaneous movement – all have reached a consensus that we shall not contest in any election under this government.”

The BNP secretary general claimed incumbent prime minister will have to resign and handover power to a non-party neutral government by dissolving parliament; and the election has to be held under a new election commission. Only then a scope can be created for a democratic process.

Speaking at the programme, Mirza Fakhrul pleaded, “Today I want to urge the youths. Kazi Jafar has left us, Mostofa Jamal Haider is ailing. The elderly people, including me, who are here, our time is almost coming to an end. We have been struggling till the last minute … But that struggle is not for any personal interest; the struggle is for the people, to give back their democratic rights.”

Mirza Fakhrul paid profound respect to the departed soul of Kazi Jafar at the programme.

Jatiya Party (Kazi Jafar) chairman Mostofa Jamal Haider presided over the programme that was moderated by the party’s joint secretary general ASM Shamim.

Kalyan Party’s Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, Jatiya Dal’s Syed Ehsanul Huda, BNP’s Zahir Uddin Swapan, Jatiya Party secretary general Ahsan Habib Linkan, vice chairman Kazi Nahid, presidium member Nawab Ali Abbas Khan, Mujibur Rahman, Maulana Ruhul Amin, Selim Master, Kamal Uddin Chowdhury and Kazi Jafar’s elder daughter Kazi Jaya also, among others, addressed the programme.