Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
PM’s remark on Zia’s grave 'absurd': BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday termed absurd the Prime Minister’s remark that Ziaur Rahman’s body is not there at Chandrima Udyan graveyard, saying that it has exposed her political 'vengeance'.
“The President of Awami League, who declared herself the Prime Minister through late-night voting, has once again spitted venom against Ziaur Rahman and talked about his grave and role in the Liberation War. It’s a ridiculous statement,” he said
Speaking at a virtual discussion, he also said it is a truth like the daylight that Zia fought in the battlefield and led the war in 1971.
“Lakhs of people in the country cried for him (Zia) on the day he was assassinated and joined his janaza on Manik Mia Avenue, exhibiting his immense popularity,” the BNP leader said.
Read: Corruption amid pandemic making life miserable: BNP
Earlier in the day, the Prime minister said “BNP engaged in fights at Chandrima Udyan. Doesn't the BNP know that there's no grave or body of Zia, or Zia is not there? They know it very well! If so, why do they stage the drama? Khaleda Zia is also aware of it.”
While addressing a programme virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban, Sheikh Hasina also said whether Khaleda Zia or Tarique Zia could claim that they saw Zia’s body in the box (which was brought from Chattogram) as a bullet-hit body can easily be recognised. “No one saw it as there was no body (of Zia) in the box,” she said.
Fakhrul accused Awami League of committing an act of treason by violating the country’s constitution. “They’ve killed democracy and snatched voting rights of people, turning Bangladesh into a vassal state.”
He said Bangladeshi nationalism and the nation’s existence will be at stake if Awami League stays in power for a long time.
READ: Bid to implicate Zia in Bangabandhu killing a political vengeance: Fakhrul
Earlier, while inaugurating BNP’s Corona Help Centre at Dhaka-10 constituency, Fakhrul called upon the party leaders and activists for taking preparations for a tough movement to oust the current government.
“If we can’t remove Awami League from power, we won’t be able to free Khaleda Zia and get rid of thousands of false cases. So, we must take to the streets and defeat this regime,” he said.
Fakhrul said BNP has no other option but to put up a strong resistance against the current government to ‘restore’ democracy and people’s voting and all other rights. “The youth must wake up and lead the movement for bringing a change in power demonstrating their courage.”
Govt 'extremely harming' future of students: BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday alleged that the government is ‘extremely harming’ the future of lakhs of students by keeping educational institutions closed.
“The strict lockdown was lifted suddenly allowing everything to operate as usual. Thousands of people are walking together and doing everything. But only the educational institutions remained closed,” he said.
While handing over medicines provided by Zia Parishad for BNP’s Covid-19 help centres at party chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said the government has made an arrangement for depriving the future generation of education by not reopening schools, colleges and universities.
He said every country in the world worked out effective plans for vaccination and the continuation of academic activities alongside protecting people’s lives and livelihoods amid the pandemic. “But we don’t have any plan in our country. It’s causing a terrible loss to the new generation.”
The BNP leader said many students do not have the ability to buy computers or smartphones to avail of the scope of online education. “There's a newspaper report that students are now selling balloons and nuts to help their parents as their schools are completely closed. That means they’ve already got diverted.”
Read: Corruption amid pandemic making life miserable: BNP
He said the government is yet to take any step to recover from such a dangerous loss suffered by the new generation due to the closure of the educational institutions. “They (govt) are only misleading people with various misinterpretations and msinformation.”
The government shut the educational institutions on March 17, 2020 after the country had reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8. Then the closure was extended several times. The latest extension is supposed to continue till August 31.
'False campaign' over vaccines
Fakhrul alleged that the government has completely failed to tackle coronavirus and ensure proper treatment for the virus-affected people. “It has not been able to create confidence in people that they will get treatment. The entire healthcare system has collapsed just because of corruption. ”
He alleged that the government is confusing people by spreading lies and ‘false campaign’ over the Covid vaccines.
“Experts think 26 crore doses of vaccines are required to bring people over 18 years under the vaccination coverage. But they bring two to three lakh doses as gifts and donations. They announced to provide one crore doses to people every day, but they didn’t have enough vaccines,” he said.
READ: Bid to implicate Zia in Bangabandhu killing a political vengeance: Fakhrul
The BNP leader said the government has been deceiving people by dishing out misinformation and false hopes about the vaccines. “This regime is a shameless and fraud one.”
Hitting back at Quader
Fakhrul alleged that Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader’s recent remark on Khaleda Zia’s birthday is devoid of political etiquette. “A responsible politician can’t make such remarks.”
He said the ruling party leaders are trying to divert people’s attention to a different direction from its failure to contain the coronavirus and ensure vaccines by making various 'reckless and indecent' comments against their opponents.
Fakhrul alleged that the ruling party leaders are also conducting false campaigns against Ziaur Rahman involving him with the August 15, 1975 killings. “Those who belong to Awami League were involved in the murder incident.”
READ: Dhaka city BNP bodies to help- bring positive changes in politics: Fakhrul
He said the government is trying to belittle Zia by giving people false information against him out of fear of his popularity. “No matter what you say, you won’t be able to remove his name from the hearts of people.”
People don’t believe propaganda against Zia: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said people do not believe the ruling party’s ‘false’ campaign that Ziaur Rahman was involved in the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.“The current Awami League government is a puppet one and it has got isolated from people…no one believes false campaigns against Ziaur Rahman as he has been there in the hearts of the country’s people,” he said.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, the BNP leader said the government has been trying to mislead people and the new generation to perpetuate its power by resorting to lies.Fakhrul alleged that the ruling party leaders have been carrying out various ‘false’ campaigns to establish a ‘distorted’ history of the Liberation War. “So, we must uphold people’s right to know the truth and the culture of practicing true history in the interests of the entire nation and the future generations.”He said Law Minister Anisul Huq’s comment involving Ziaur Rahman in the assassination of Bangabandhu is false, baseless, and politically motivated.
READ: Bid to implicate Zia in Bangabandhu killing a political vengeance: Fakhrul
The BNP leader said the law minister has put the verdict of Bangabandhu murder case under a question through his that remark.He said the trial of the murder case was completed after a long investigation and examination of the documents and witnesses with utmost sincerity.He questioned as to why the law minister is trying to create a fresh controversy over the murder of Bangabandhu which is a ‘past and closed chapter’ with the completion of the trial.BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said Awami League is distorting the history to confuse people and the new generation by hiding the fact.
He said Awami League leaders themselves created the ground for the August 15, 1975 incident and they were involved in it. “They’re now trying to shift the blame for the incident onto others to protect their political existence. I would like to say they must be accountable to people for distorting the history.”BNP Vice-Chairman Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed said Awami League wants to belittle Zia out of jealousy due to his outstanding contributions to the Liberation War and the development of the country.
READ: Dhaka city BNP bodies to help- bring positive changes in politics: Fakhrul
“They have started saying that Ziaur Rahman was involved in Sheikh Mujib's assassination. They think it's been almost 50 years. So now is the time to make such lies true. They have taken this evil initiative to brand Zia as a killer conspirator through false propaganda.”
Bid to implicate Zia in Bangabandhu killing a political vengeance: Fakhrul
Condemning Law Minister’s statement on Zia’s link to Bangabandhu killing, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said it is the government’s ill-effort to mislead people out of political vengeance.
“We (BNP) think the government is trying to mislead people by distorting history and falsehood only because of political retaliation. Such propaganda is just an attempt to hide facts,” said the BNP secretary general at a press conference.
Law Minister Anisul Haque said on Thursday said Ziaur Rahman was involved in the assassination of Bangabandhu and the evidence on it will be made public.
“The evidence of Ziaur Rahman's involvement in the assassination will be made public through a commission,” the minister said.
Read: Workers’ lives have little value to govt: Fakhrul
Talking about repeated incidents of vessel crashes under Parma Bridge, Mirza Fakhrul said the movement of ferries should have been shifted earlier from the Shimulia-Banglabazar route to avoid such incidents.
"It's a matter of common sense. The current is very strong in the river and it’s very natural that water vessels might get slightly diverted from course during this time,” he said.
“However, the situation has created a great opportunity for the ruling party and their men. They might try building a new ferry terminal all together citing the crisis. This would give them a chance to embezzle crores of taka in the new project,” Fakhrul said.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) on Friday night requested passengers to use Paturia ferry terminal, instead of Shimulia, to cross the mighty Padma River.
Read: Govt deceiving people over Covid vaccines: BNP
BIWTC authorities claimed that the ferry crisis on Shimulia-Banglabazar route is the reason for diverting vehicles to Paturia-Daulatdia route.
On Friday night, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader hinted that any one of Shimulia or Banglabazar ferry terminals might be shifted elsewhere to reduce the chances of such accidents.
In the past two months, at least five such accidents have happened in the district.
Public life at stake for mismanagement in vaccination drive: BNP
BNP on Thursday alleged that the mismanagement in the government’s Covid-19 vaccination drive has jeopardised the public life.
“There has been a complete mess in the vaccination campaign due to the government’s failure to face the pandemic,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Read: Frustration grows as chaos continues at Bangladesh’s vaccination centres
He made the remarks when he visited Banani Graveyard in the city to place wreaths and offer Fateha at the grave of Arafat Rahman Koko, the youngest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, marking his 52nd birth anniversary.
Fakhrul urged the government to collect adequate number of vaccine doses immediately and work sincerely for people announcing a roadmap to deal with the pandemic.
He alleged that the government has totally failed to manage corona. They (govt) shouldn’t be in power any more for its ill-planned lockdown and mismanagement in the vaccination drive. “This government should go right away.”
The BNP secretary general paid homage to Koko and recalled his role in the development of sports organisations and cricket.
Read:Mismanagement, politicization made vaccination drive a complete mess: BNP
BNP leaders Aman Ullah Aman, Abdus Salam, Fazlul Haque Milon, Syed Emran Saleh Prince, Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Aminul Haque and Rafiqul Alam Majnu, Jubo Dal leaders Saiful Alam Nirob and Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Swechchasebak Dal leaders Mustafizur Rahman and Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Jewell and Chhatra Dal leader Fazlul Ramna Khokon were, among others, present.
On January 23, 2015, Arafat Rahman Koko died of cardiac arrest in Malaysia at the age of 45.
BNP attributes Covid disaster to govt’s overreliance on bureaucrats
BNP on Monday alleged that the government has failed to tackle the Covid situation in the country due to its 'overdependence’ on bureaucrats.
“The government has completely failed to contain the coronavirus infection and it has put people’s lives and livelihoods in jeopardy,” said party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, he also said their party has been calling upon the government since the beginning of the Covid outbreak to hold a national convention and form a national committee at all levels comprising all political parties, experts, social organisations and NGOs to tackle the situation with united efforts by involving people.
Read:Mismanagement, politicization made vaccination drive a complete mess: BNP
“It's unfortunate that this government didn’t pay heed to it. They’ve relied only on bureaucrats to create such a terrible corona situation. It can be called a complete mess because of politicisation, political meanness, and corruption,” the BNP leader observed.
The virtual programme was arranged by the family members of BNP Chairperson’s late adviser Fazlur Rahman Patal, marking his fifth death anniversary. Patal, a former state minister for youth and sports, died at an Indian hospital on August 11, 2016, at the age of 65.
Fakhrul said the country has probably been witnessing the worst Covid situation as the highly transmissible Delta variant of the virus has spread all over the country, including the rural areas.
He said the government did not take proper steps to prevent the spread of the virus to rural areas from cities despite repeated warnings. “They took time to seal the border. That’s why, the Delta variant of the Covid pandemic spread all over the country.”
The BNP leader said the government is hardly concerned about people’s lives and livelihoods as its main focus is on creating scopes for ruling party leaders to plunder public money.
He also accused the government of mocking people by enforcing ‘unplanned’ lockdowns and ‘unjustified restrictions’, badly affecting the normal public life.
The BNP leader also said the government has destroyed the economy delaying plans and actions to overcome the fallout of the pandemic. “They did nothing, except plundering public money. We clearly see that the GDP growth is decreasing gradually, but the government is lying about it. It wants to show an inflated GDP growth by force.”
Read:Reopen educational institutions with rigid health protocols: BNP
He said the trade, imports and production are also declining alongside the GDP. “But they’re not paying any attention to it.”
Fakhrul also said around two crore people have fallen below the poverty line afresh while many others, including day-labourers, rickshaw- and van-pullers, farm labourers, hawkers, small shop workers and those involved in the informal sector, have become unemployed.
Later, the BNP secretary general inaugurated a makeshift healthcare centre set up at Bagatipara in Natore under the supervision of the Patal’s wife Kamrunnahar Shirin and her children.
Dhaka city BNP bodies to help- bring positive changes in politics: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday hoped that the new convening committees of their party’s Dhaka south and north units will play a pivotal role in bringing positive changes in politics.
“People across the country have high expectations from the two committees formed with tested leaders. We hope they’ll bring about qualitative changes in Bangladesh politics,” he said.
The BNP leader said, “We also hope they’ll play their role in restoring democracy removing the current undemocratic government which is destroying all our hopes and aspirations.”
Fakhrul made the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting with the leaders of newly-formed convening committees of BNP’s Dhaka south and north units at his Uttara residence.
Read: Workers’ lives have little value to govt: Fakhrul
He asked the convening committees to quickly reorganise their organisations for the formation of full-fledged committees of the two units through councils.
On Monday, the party announced fresh convincing committees for its Dhaka south and north units by dissolving the existing ones.
Party chairperson’s adviser and freedom fighter Abdus Salam made the convener of a 49-member convening committee of Dhaka south city unit BNP while Jubo Dal leader Rafiqul Alam Mojnu its member secretary.
BNP chairperson’s another adviser and ex-Ducsu VP Amanullah Aman was made the convener of a 47-member convening committee of the party's Dhaka north city unit while ex-national footballer Aminul Islam its member secretary.
Read: Govt deceiving people over Covid vaccines: BNP
Meanwhile, leaders of the two committees started their organisational activities at their office at Bhasani Bhaban in the city’s Nayapaltan area in the afternoon.
BNP organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince welcomed the Dhaka city leaders as they visited the party’s Nayapltan central office.
Workers’ lives have little value to govt: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday alleged that a chaotic situation has been created by reopening RMG factories amid the ongoing lockdown as workers’ lives have no value to the government.
"RMG workers went through extreme sufferings while joining thier jobs. The government has created a messy situation by allowing the workers to go home and again bringing them back to work. Their lives seem to have no value,” he said.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, the BNP leader said the government whimsically allowed the workers to go home amid Covid transmission before Eid-ul-Azha and thus helped spread the virus across the country. “They now asked them to come back amid the lockdown. The workes returned to Dhaka from Mymensingh, Manikganj, Munshiganj and other areas on foot to join their jobs. This is too much.”
Read: Govt deceiving people over Covid vaccines: BNP
Mannan-Nilufar Memorial Foundation arranged the programme, marking the first death anniversary of late BNP vice-chairman and ex-state minister Abdul Mannan.
Fakhrul alleged that the government is least bothered about the sufferings of people and their lives and livelihoods as it is not elected by them.
"This is the high time to stand up against this misrule. We have to stand up against this monstrous regime that has been running the country without public mandate,” he said.
Read: Covid situation turned terrible: BNP
The BNP leader said a truly democratic government must be established to 'restore' people’s rights. "We all have to work together and move forward to make it happens.”
Fakhrul recalled the contributions of Mannan to the country and BNP as an honest and responsible politician.
Mannan, who served as the state minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism from 1991 to 1996, died on August 4 last year at the age of 78.
Govt providing false info about Covid cases, fatalities
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday accused the government of giving people false information about the number of Covid infections and fatalities in an effort to hide its ‘failure’ to tackle the pandemic.
“The government's statistics are not at all accurate. As per their calculation, 12, 64, 328 people were infected till yesterday (Sunday), which is a blatant lie. People can't undergo tests for lack of testing facilities,” he said.
READ: Bangladesh economy unable to bear brunt of Covid: Fakhrul
While virtually inaugurating a corona-help centre of their party in Lalmonirhat, the BNP leader also said there is no scope for Covid tests in upazilas while people are facing difficulties in undergoing tests in different districts.
“Even tests are being conducted for only two hours in test centers in Dhaka and thus they’re screening out the real situation. They’re deceiving people by giving them false statistics,” he observed.
Fakhrul also said though the government showed 20,914 Covid fatalities in the country, the real figure can never be less than one lakh as many virus-infected people are dying at their homes.
Referring to a newspaper report on various inconsistencies in the official Covid information, he said the government will not be able to deal with the pandemic if it does not get the exact data. “So, you (govt) are making a mistake knowingly. This regime is cheating on the country’s people.”
The BNP leader said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) is giving false information also about general and ICU beds. “According to the health directorate, there’re 20 ICU beds in Bhola, Kushtia, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Jamalpur districts for the corona patients. But there’s no ICU bed in these hospitals.”
He said the DGHS said 136 Covid patients were receiving treatment in four hospitals in Sylhet till Sunday. “The fact is that there’re 436 patients. This is how they’re giving false information.”
Stating that people are going through serious ordeal due to the ‘unplanned’ lockdown enforced by the government, Fakhrul said BNP leaders and activists are standing by the needy people taking the risks of their lives.
Fakhrul alleged that the ruling party leaders have started making fresh efforts to malign BNP founder Ziaur Rahman by implicating him in the murder of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
READ: Trust among 20-party partners “excellent”: Fakhrul
He said the ruling party leaders’ main task is to blame the BNP all the time and try to humiliate Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman by spreading ‘false’ propaganda against them.”
Reopening factories a ‘suicidal’ decision: BNP
BNP on Sunday termed ‘suicidal’ the government’s decision of allowing the export-oriented factories to resume operation amid the ongoing "strict lockdown" enforced to contain the spike in Covid infections and fatalities.
“A horrible and messy situation has been prevailing in the country…it declared earlier that the factories would remain shut until August 5. Suddenly, it’s announced that the factories would be reopened without taking any steps to allow the workers to return. They again decided at night that public transport would operate till 12pm,” said party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Read: Factories reopen amid Covid surge as ‘economy falters’
He said, “That’s why I earlier said all these decisions come from Hemayetpur, and this is the reality…I see nothing but insanity in these decisions. The BNP standing committee feels that the government has taken the suicidal decision due to its incompetence and extreme lack of sincerity.”
Fakhrul made the remarks at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office while unveiling the decisions of a virtual meeting of party standing committee held on Saturday.
Referring to media reports, he said it is freighting the way workers in their thousands were crowding and making their desperate bid to return to their workplaces.
“They (workers) are returning from rural areas where now the coronavirus transmission is very high. They’re coming back with this (virus). So, we can understand what's going to happen in Dhaka. We think the government should resign shouldering all the responsibilities for its utter failure to deal with the corona situation,” Fakhrul observed.
The BNP leader said health experts also opposed the government’s such decision and they described it as a farce since the residents of Dhaka will be vulnerable to the infection of the deadly Delta variant of coronavirus with the arrival of the workers from outside the capital.
Export-oriented industries resumed operation today (Sunday), the 10th day of the ongoing stringent lockdown, amid warnings against Covid surge as workers started returning to their workplaces without maintaining health protocols.
Read: Lockdown: Thousands returning to Dhaka as factories going to reopen Sunday
A record surge in the number of Covid cases and fatalities in recent days prompted the government to enforce a nationwide stringent lockdown, suspending all outdoor activities unless there is an emergency.
Fakhrul alleged that the country’s poor and low-income people are going through serious sufferings due to ‘unplanned' lockdown enforced by the government.He said their party repeatedly cautioned the government that the lockdown would never work without food aid and financial support for low-income and marginalised people, including workers in the informal sector, transport workers, boatmen, and rickshaw and van pullers.
“We also urged the government to provide these people with a one-time grant of Tk 15,000. But the government has decided to pay Tk 2,500 to its own party men. The real victims are not getting this support,” the BNP leader said.
Deceiving people over vaccine
Fakhrul alleged that the government is trying to deceive people by giving them wrong information about the vaccines.
“The government has said it’ll make arrangements to provide 60 lakh doses of vaccines every week. But it couldn’t give 60 lakh jabs over the last seven months. They’ve also announced to give one crore doses of vaccines every month without any guarantee of receiving the jabs. This is nothing but a trickery with people.”
Read: Govt deceiving people over Covid vaccines: BNP
He said the health minister has been making ‘ridiculous and hollow’ remarks about vaccinating the country’s 80 percent of the population without collecting the necessary vaccine doses. “The BNP standing committee meeting has urged the government to immediately present a specific roadmap on vaccine collection, storage, and distribution to people without uttering empty words.”
Fakhrul also accused the government of deliberately giving people 'untrue information' about the daily coronavirus cases and fatalities. “They’re misleading people by not giving the real statistics on the number of infections and deaths.”