Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
Creating rumors now the main task of BNP leaders: AL
Creating rumors is now the main task of BNP leaders, said Bangladesh Awami League in a post on its verified Facebook page.
The comment was posted in response to BNP's recent remarks over the state of country’s forex reserve amid the ongoing austerity measures to deal with global headwinds.
"The party is living on the oxygen of rumours," the Facebook post reads.
Also read: Fuel, forex reserves may run out after power crisis: Fakhrul
The reserve of Bangladesh is now stable at $40 billion while BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the reserve is not more than $16 billion, AL said.
"He (Fakhrul) may have said this to reduce the gap of $40 billion with $2 billion billion during the BNP era. Mirza Fakhrul does politics based on rumors and lies," reads the post.
The AL said any sensible citizen of the country can never support these rumours.
On Friday, Fakhrul said the government has not more than $16 billion in usable forex reserves in the country.
Also read: BNP blames AL’s internal feud for Narail communal violence
“They are turning Bangladesh into a failed state. So, we can’t give Awami League any more time and chance. The more they stay in power, the faster the destruction of the country will accelerate,” the BNP leader said.
Will have tea with you if you accept demand for caretaker govt: Fakhrul to PM
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said they have no problem taking tea with the prime minister at her office if she accepts the party’s demand for the caretaker government to oversee the next polls.
“You first say that you’re accepting the caretaker government system. You come up with this announcement and then we'll have no problem having tea at the Prime Minister’s Office,” he said responding to PM Sheikh Hasina’s offer made on Saturday.
Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader said the formation of a representative parliament and government having accountability to people is the only solution to the country’s current political and economic crisis.
The Association of Engineers, Bangladesh arranged the programme on the ongoing crisis in the power and energy sector at the Jatiya Press Club.
He also said the country is now facing an economic crisis caused by widespread corruption as the government is not accountable to people.
“So, we would like to say, there is no point in making a blunt comment like offering tea. We would like to say one thing that you step down handing over power to a non-party neutral government and pave the way for an acceptable and inclusive election under a new election commission and thus take back Bangladesh,” the BNP leader said pointing at the PM.
Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she would offer BNP leaders tea if they come to besiege her office (Prime Minister's Office).
"I will listen to them – whatever they want to say. I believe in democracy," she said while speaking at a meeting of Awami League's Dhaka North and South units.
Fakhrul said they are in talks with political parties to forge unity for ensuring the fall of the Awami League government.
“We must be united to get rid of the awful regime. I urge the country’s people to get united for defeating the current government through a street movement and thus materialise the dreams of the country’s Liberation War,” he said.
Read: Accept election-time govt demand or face ouster: Fakhrul to AL
About the power crisis, the BNP leader said the government has increased the power generation capacity without thinking of the sources of fuel and energy needed for it.
"Unfortunately, this government wants us to wear shoes that are much bigger than what they need. As a result, they are now unable to walk and getting stumbled. They take steps for quick rental power plants and nuclear power plants for power generation, but they didn’t think about where the fuel will come from,” he observed.
Stating that 51 per cent of fuel for power generation comes from gas, he said the government has not made any step for exploring it in the last 15 years. “They have been in power for 15 years. In these 15 years, they have only focused on how to plunder thousands of crores of taka and siphoned it off abroad.”
Fakhrul alleged that country and its people are facing an economic crisis for the misdeeds of the government. “Their (govt’s) corruption, looting, incapability and failure all together have made people’s lives miserable in Bangladesh.”
He said the ruling party leaders bragged about turning Bangladesh into Malaysia, Canada and San Francisco, but the poverty rate in the country has increased to 40-42 per cent. People are now unable to manage two meals a day. Even, 21 per cent of people in some districts of Bangladesh, including Kurigram, Gaibandha and Sunamganj, cannot eat two meals a day.”
The BNP leader said the ruling party leaders are now making reckless comments due to the economic crisis amid the decline in the flow of remittances.
He alleged that people in rural areas are hit hard by the frequent power outages. “The load-shedding is highest in the rural areas as the government wants to keep the people of cities happy with fewer power outages, but it will hamper crop production and put the food security at stake.”
No EC can hold credible polls with AL in power: BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said joining talks with the current Election Commission (EC) is pointless since no commission can hold a neutral credible election if Awami League stays in power.
“Our experience in the last two elections is that if Awami League stays in power, no commission can conduct a credible and impartial election,” he said.
Talking to reporters at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said after boycotting the 2014 polls, they took part in the 2018 election based on the prime minister’s promises to hold an acceptable election.
“But it was seen that the ballots were stuffed the night before the voting day. Considering these things, how do you (journalists) expect BNP to participate in a dialogue with the Election Commission? What will EC do? They have no power to do anything,” he said.
Read:Don’t run away from election, CEC urges the political parties Don’t run away from election, CEC urges the political parties
Fakhrul said whether or not the election will be fair and acceptable depends on the nature of the election-time government. “We have already seen that elections would not be fair if Sheikh Hasina remains the prime minister. So what will happen whether we join the EC’s talks or not?
The BNP leader's comments came as the EC began talks with the registered political parties on Sunday morning to discuss issues relating to the 12th general election.
Fakhrul said the people do not want to see any election under the Election Commission or under the current government.
“That is why we are not making any comment on any dialogue, discussion or EVM issue of this commission. Because we don't believe that there can be a fair election under the current Election Commission. If there is no change in the government and if an impartial government does not come, there will be no election in this country,” he said.
The BNP leader said the main crisis of the country is that there is no democracy here. “Election is the first door for democracy. But the electoral system of Bangladesh has been completely destroyed by Awami League.”
He said four credible national elections were held in the country under the caretaker governments, but Awami League annulled the system only to hang onto power forever by holding polls under them.
The BNP leader said it is fact that national elections are held under the partisan government in many countries that have strong democratic institutions and that have long been practising democracy.
“But our political culture is that one political party does not trust another one in our country. Awami League itself has proved in the previous polls that there can be no acceptable election under a partisan government. They even forcibly rigged the local government elections.”
EU envoy meets Fakhrul
European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley met BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday.
The one-and-a-half-hour meeting was held at BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.
BNP standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and organising secretary Shama Obayed were also present at the meeting.
Read: Travel misery robs holidaymakers of joy of Eid: BNP
After the closed-door meeting, Khasru said they discussed in detail all the relevant issues involving bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the EU.
He, however, declined to elaborate when asked about the relevant issues.
Earlier on Tuesday, newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis met the BNP Secretary General.
BNP leader Fakhrul recovers from Covid-19
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has tested negative for Covid-19, eight days after contracting the virus.
“The BNP secretary general underwent the Covid test on Saturday and his report has now come out negative,” said party vice-chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain.
Also read: Mirza Fakhrul contracts Covid-19
He also said though Fakhrul recovered from the Covid infection, he is still feeling weak physically.
The BNP leader will start participating in the party’s programmes on Tuesday, said Sayrul Kabir Khan, a member of BNP's media cell.
He said Fakhrul will join a programme of the party's relief committee as the chief guest at its chairperson’s office at 12noon on Tuesday.
On June 25, the BNP leader tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time and received treatment in isolation at his Uttra home under the supervision of medicine specialist Dr Raihan Rabbani.
Also read: AL govt has become enemy of people: Fakhrul
Earlier on January 11 last, Fakhrul and his wife Rahat Ara Begum were infected with coronavirus.
Flood victims left in the lurch: Fakhrul
BNP on Wednesday alleged that the government is occupied with the Padma Bridge inauguration festival, leaving lakhs of flood-affected people in the country’s northeast areas in the lurch.
“The people of a vast area of Bangladesh are going through a miserable time amid severe floods. Many people and their houses, cattle and valuables were washed away by the floodwaters,” said party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Read: Govt invites BNP to join Padma Bridge inaugural programme
Speaking at a discussion, he also said the sufferings of the flood-hit people know no bound for the shortage of food, medicines and relief materials.
“It’s unfortunate that the government is engaged with the inauguration festival of the Padma Bridge instead of paying attention to easing people’s sufferings, rescuing the affected people and ensuring adequate relief materials for them,” the BNP leader observed.
Zia Smriti Pathagar arranged the discussion-cum book exhibition programme at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
Fakhrul said the current ‘usurper’ government has been indulging in ‘corruption’ in the name of development and siphoning off money abroad.
“On the one hand, the growing prices of commodities, on the other hand, the current floods have made people's lives miserable,” the BNP leader observed.
He also alleged that the government has turned Bangladesh into a failed state by destroying all the state institutions through politicisation.
The BNP leader called upon people of all walks of life to get united to ‘restore’ democracy and establish a pro-people government by ousting the Awami League regime through a strong movement.
Fakhrul urged the BNP leaders and activists to take steps to present the life, work, honesty and ideology of Ziaur Rahman before the new generation through publications and publicity.
He also advised the party leaders and activists to acquire knowledge and read books on different issues as it is the only way for advancement.
Read: Flood victims cry for relief amid govt’s inaction: BNP
The BNP leader alleged that the ruling Awami League has long been carrying out different negative campaigns to belittle former president Ziaur Rahman and his contributions to the country’s Liberation War and the nation in a planned way.
“They (AL) are writing different books and carrying out propaganda in many ways against him as Ziaur Rahman was not only a soldier and a president but also the proclaimer of the country’s independence,” he added.
We knew this thing would happen to Cumilla polls: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said their party boycotted the election to Cumilla City Corporation as it knew what would happen there.
“You yourself saw yesterday's election. I don’t want to talk about it further…We knew earlier that this thing would happen there. That’s why we earlier clearly said we would not go to any polls under this regime,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion, he also said joining the polls under this government means giving it more legitimacy. “It’s now a proven fact.”
Also read: Finance Minister’s activities have no connection with constitution, ethics: Fakhrul
A faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) arranged the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club to mark the ‘Black Day commemorating the shutdown of all newspapers except four state-run ones on 16 June 1975.
Awami League mayoral candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat was unofficially declared the winner of the high-voltage Cumilla City Corporation election held on Wednesday.
As per the results announced by returning officer of the polls, Shahedunnabi Chowdhury, Rifat defeated two-time mayor Monirul Haque Sakku by a margin of only 343 votes.
Sakku, however, turned down the election results and said he was defeated in a planned way by manipulating the results of a few centers at the last time.
Also read: Cumilla City Corporation election ends peacefully
Fakhrul bemoaned that though 50 years have passed since the independence of Bangladesh, the nation still could not ensure a system of peaceful transfer of power.
“When the arrangement was made for holding the election under a partisan government annulling the caretaker government system through the 15th amendment to the constitution, our leader Khaleda Zia said that a permanent cause of violence and instability has been created through that incident,” he observed.
Under the circumstances, the BNP leader said there is no alternative to restoring democracy in the country to protect press freedom, judiciary, administration, education and all other things.
Fakhrul said democracy and freedom of the press are inseparable. “How can we get the freedom of the press without having democracy? That is why we have been saying for the last few years that our goal is to bring back democracy.”
He said those who have destroyed and snatched democracy will not restore it. “That is the reality. There is nothing in the character of the Awami League to tolerate the dissent.”
The BNP leader said they are working to wake up people from all walks of life to restore democracy and give the ongoing movement a final shape.
He said Awami League has snatched democracy, freedom of the press and the rights of people and individuals while BNP restored press freedom, democracy and introduced multi-party democracy. “This is the basic difference between the Awami League and the BNP.”
Fakhrul reaffirmed that their parry will revoke all ‘black’ and ‘repressive’ laws, including the Digital Security Act, if it returns to power.
Send Khaleda abroad for treatment to evade public wrath: BNP to govt
Renewing their party’s demand for allowing ailing Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced treatment, BNP on Sunday warned that people won’t forgive the government if anything bad happens to her for lack of treatment.
"We would like to make a final call for releasing Begum Khaleda Zia immediately and sending her abroad for advanced treatment. Otherwise, you must shoulder all the responsibilities...,” BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.
Also read: Khaleda has two more blockages in heart, kept under 72-hrs observation
Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader also said the government has to take the responsibility for ensuring Khaleda’s advanced treatment abroad.
“Or else, if anything bad happens to her, the country’s people won’t pardon you. They’ll drag you down from power,” he warned.
BNP’s Dhaka north and south units arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club demanding prompt steps for ensuring advanced treatment of Khaleda Zia abroad.
Several thousand leaders and activists of BNP from different wards of the capital joined the rally with banners and festoons.
Fakhrul said the government has long been obstructing Khaleda from going abroad for treatment though convicted ruling party leaders are availing of the same scope.
“Salim Uddin and Kalim Uddin all can go abroad for treatment. The convicted people also can go abroad for treatment. Some people can go there by air ambulance. Then why she (Khaleda) is not allowed to be treated abroad? ” he questioned.
The BNP leader also said the Awami League government is not releasing Khaleda and allowing her to go abroad as it is afraid of her popularity.
Budget aims to protect interests of govt's benefactors: BNP
Describing the proposed national budget for the next fiscal year as an unrealistic one, BNP on Saturday alleged that it has been formulated only for protecting the interests of the government's benefactors.
"This budget is by no means the budget of the common people. It's just a budget for money launderers and those who siphon off dollars,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He further said, “This year's budget is a completely unrealistic budget at this difficult time of the country. It has been made only for the government-backed people.”
Fakhrul made the remarks while presenting their party’s formal reaction to the national budget at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Earlier on Thursday, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presented the budget in Parliament.
Slamming the government for offering amnesty to the money launderers, Fakhrul said the new budget has been formulated to give the looters a scope to legalise and bring back their illegal money home safely.
“This budget has also been made to create an opportunity for the government’s ministers, members of parliament and their relatives and the businessmen to siphon off money abroad,” he observed.
Also read: Budget FY23: It’s a budget of plundering, says Fakhrul
The BNP leader also said the budget has been formulated to allow the ruling party leaders and activists to increase their wealth and make money instead of taking any effective strategy to lower the prices of rice, pulses, salt, sugar, gas, electricity and water and other daily essentials and utility services.
He described the proposed amnesty to money launderers as illegal. "It’s not only immoral but also contrary to the law. It’s also tantamount to pardoning corruption and money laundering."
Fakhrul said this step will make the future of the ongoing money laundering cases uncertain while the launderers will be encouraged to siphon off more money abroad. “This is an unjust, reckless and suicidal move.”
“We think this is also an unconstitutional move which conflicts with the government’s so-called zero tolerance policy against corruption. We strongly condemn it, “he said.
The BNP leader demanded the government annul the scope for legalising the laundered money.
At the same time, he demanded that immediate action be taken against the money launderers by identifying them and confiscating their assets.
Criticising various aspects of the proposed budget, Fakhrul said the new budget is of the businessmen, by the businessmen and for the businessmen. “That means it's a business-friendly budget. Nothing relating to public welfare has been included in the budget.”
Also read: BNP denounces national budget as friendly to looters
He said though the growing inflation rate causing immense public suffering, no step has been taken in the budget to ease their misery. “The tax-free income limit has not been increased and the middle-class people have not been relieved. The import taxes of products that are mainly consumed by the middle-class people have been increased.”
The BNP secretary general also thinks the allocations for the social safety net, health, education and agriculture sectors were not sufficient.
Referring to the budget speech of the Finance Minister on the introduction of digital currency, he said, it is a matter of monetary policy of the Bangladesh Bank. “The Finance Minister can’t interfere in the regulatory jurisdiction of the central bank.”
The BNP leader also bemoaned that the Finance Minister did not say anything about the banking sector that has been grasped by a vicious circle.
He said the minister admitted the rise in the inflation rate but did not make any specific proposal in the budget to control it.
Speaking at the press conference, BNP standing committee member and former health minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the allocation for the health sector in the proposed budget is typical. “There’s no direction in the budget for addressing the weaknesses that have been identified in this sector during the Covid period.”
BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, among others, were present at the press conference.
BNP blames govt’s negligence for Sitakunda depot fire
BNP standing committee has blamed the government’s negligence and incapability for the deadly fire at BM Container Depot in Sitakunda.
“Our meeting thinks the government's negligence, lack of coordination and incompetence are responsible for the horrific accident at BM Container Depot in Sitakunda,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday.
Also read: BNP demands cancellation of gas price hike, announces three-day protest
Speaking at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office on the outcomes of a virtual meeting of BNP standing committee members held on Monday night, he also said all-pervasive corruption, lack of accountability and incapability of the government have resulted in so many deaths and colossal damage.
The BNP leader said there are some rules and regulations and monitoring authorities to prevent such incidents and accidents. “Unfortunately, no one monitors these. Those who have the responsibility to ensure coordination and take the official concerned to the task are not properly discharging their duties. That is why these accidents are happening."
Since the government has no accountability to people and the parliament, he said the government-backed officials and the different authorities concerned are working as per their wish without being accountable to the government.
"The state is not functioning and its various institutions are not working. I often say that it has become a failed state. Because the state is not functioning, the machinery is not functioning and no one is accountable for what they are doing. That is why this situation has now been created.”
He said a government having accountability to people is now necessary to get Bangladesh back on the right track.
Fakhrul said the BNP standing committee meeting demanded the immediate formation of an investigation committee comprising neutral experts from the relevant field to unearth the main reasons behind the fire incident and identify those responsible for it.
He also called upon the government to bring the culprits to be identified by the investigation to justice and ensure adequate compensation for the family members of those killed and injured.
Referring to the report on the non-renewal of the BM Container Depot license, the BNP leader said the murder charges should be brought against its owners.
Fakhrul said the standing committee entrusted its member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury with the responsibility to stand by the families of the victims and the injured in the blaze.
Also read:BNP demands neutral probe into Sitakunda fire
Restoration of Odhikar’s registration
He said the standing committee strongly condemned and protested the cancellation of the registration of rights body 'Odhikar' by the NGO Affairs Bureau of the Prime Minister’s Office.
"The meeting believes that such move by the government will hamper the efforts of non-governmental organisations to protect human rights. The government's tendency to violate human rights will also increase and the incidents of enforced disappearances, illegal detentions, extrajudicial killings, violence against women and children, and human rights violations against religious minorities will also rise,” the BNP leader said.
He demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision to cancel the registration of Odhikar.
False campaign against Zia, Tarique
Fakhrul alleged that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy spread lies by giving a post on social media with a ‘fabricated’ quote from former president Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem's book titled ‘At Bangabhaban: Last Phase’.
He also slammed Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Qauder for his comment that BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman is a foreign national for allegedly taking foreign citizenship.
“Tarique Rahman is a Bangladeshi citizen by birth and has not applied for citizenship of any other country…Mr Quader's statement is completely baseless, fabricated and motivated with low political purposes,” Fakhrul said.
He said Quader should withdraw his false statement and apolozise to the nation.