Govt not creating obstacle to demo, rallies due to foreign pressure: Fakhrul
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday warned the Awami League government will be washed away by a tsunami of public anger over what he called its ‘fascist’ rule, UNB reports.
“Their (govt’s) fall is inevitable as people have woken up. People will take to the streets with a mass wave, triggering a tsunami. This terribly fascist and monstrous Awami League regime will be washed away by the tsunami,” he said.
The BNP leader was addressing a rally arranged by Bangladesh Sammilita Peshajibi Parishad in front of the National Press Club protesting the fuel price hike, rising prices of daily essentials, power crisis, killing of political leaders in police firing and demanding the unconditional release of Begum Khaleda Zia.
He urged the leaders and activists of different professional bodies to organise the people from their respective positions to save the country from ruination.
"The nation is now at stake as they (govt) have destroyed the democratic soul of Bangladesh. We all have to unite and carry out a movement to restore that soul. There’s no alternative to a movement. We must take to the streets to remove this regime,” Fakhrul observed.
He said people are now seriously struggling to run their families due to the soaring prices of the commodities caused by the fresh hike in fuel prices. “There is now no need to tell what the condition of the country is. Ask the bus passengers on the streets about how much fare has been increased. All people, including the rickshaw pullers, farmers and teachers are going through immense miseries."
The BNP leader also observed that the middle-class people, who neither can express their miseries nor can afford the exorbitant prices of commodities, are the worst victims of the fuel price hike.
He said the government is now allowing BNP and other opposition parties and platforms to hold rallies and political programmes without much hassle due to pressure from different countries ahead of the election.
“They’re now pretending to be a democratic and modest party. This is nothing but trickery. Deception is embedded in their character.”
The BNP leader alleged that the government is destroying the country's economy in a planned way. “The banks are getting depleted due to widespread plundering. Bangladesh Bank was also looted.”
He said the government was dreaming of turning Bangladesh into Singapore and Malaysia a few days back, but it is now asking for loans as the dollar reserves are decreasing. “They stole and robbed our assets and siphoned off money abroad. According to an international organisation, up to USD 827 million are being laundered from Bangladesh every year.”
Under the current situation of the country, Fakhrul urged the government to quit, dissolve the parliament, hand over power to a neutral administration paving the way for holding a credible election and establishing a people’s government.
He alleged that Awami League is seeking the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the next polls to cling to power by manipulating the results. “EVM is a tool of deception. Awami League has no other alternative to EVM to hang onto power. If you vote for the symbol of paddy sheaf through the EVMs, it’ll be counted for the boat symbol instead. That’s why they want the use of EVM.”