Govt becomes unnerved losing support at home, abroad: BNP

Stating that the government has got unnerved by losing its support both at home and abroad, BNP senior leaders on Wednesday threatened to continue their movement until the fall of the Awami League-led government.

Speaking at separate rallies before starting marches in the city’s Shahjadpur and Basabo areas in the capital, the BNP leaders also urged the people from all social strata to get ready for a mass uprising to oust the incumbent government.

BNP’s Dhaka North City unit marched toward Malibagh’s Abul Hotel from Shahjadpur while the South City unit toward Malibagh Community Centre from Basabo area 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 staging the party’s protest against the filing of ‘ghost’ cases against opposition leaders and activists, soaring prices of essentials, frequent power cuts and the “all-pervasive corruption” by the Awami League government.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain inaugurated the programme in front of Shahjadpur’s Suvastu Nazar Valley around 3:30 pm following a brief rally there. In a brief address prior to launching the programme, Mosharraf slammed the government for cancelling the additional security escorts for the envoys of different countries, including the USA, the UK and India.

“This kind of incident did not happen in Bangladesh in the last 51 years. It means that this government has failed miserably in diplomacy and it has now become unnerved. This government has no support both at home and abroad," he said.

Mosharraf said their party will force the government to quit and hold the next election under a non-party caretaker government.

The BNP leader said corruption is now everywhere in Bangladesh from the highest level to the lowest level.

“The country's resources have been depleted through siphoning off a huge amount of money abroad. The country’s people can’t afford food twice a day. Even, the middle class is now getting poorer as the government has increased the prices of daily necessities whimsically,” he said.

Mosharraf said people now do not go to polling stations as they cannot cast their votes in the election under the AL government. “No one wants to vote under this government. People won’t allow anymore elections while Sheikh Hasina is in power. People won’t let that happen.”

The BNP leader called upon people from all social strata to get ready for a mass uprising to unseat the current ‘autocratic’ regime.

“Ershad was removed through a mass upsurge in 1990 led by Khaleda Zia and then DUCSU VP Amanullah Aman. The people of this country also ousted an autocratic ruler like Ayub Khan through the movement during Pakistan's rule. So, there is no alternative to a mass upsurge to topple this fascist Sheikh Hasina,” he said,

The BNP leader said they want to defeat the ruling party on the streets to resolve the political crisis in the country.  “We will ensure the fall of this regime through a democratic movement by uniting the country’s people.”

Speaking at the programme, BNP’s Dhaka north city unit convenor Amanullah Aman said the next election will not be held under this government in any way. “People won’t let the government arrange the voting.”