Politics
Fuel, forex reserves may run out after power crisis: Fakhrul
Accusing the Awami League government of ruining the country’s economy through widespread corruption and plundering, BNP on Friday warned that the foreign exchange reserves also may get depleted in the days to come after power and energy crisis.
“The bell of the government’s downfall has begun to toll. There’s a now crisis of power and then we’ll face the shortage of fuel oil. After that, you’ll see the reserves are running out,” he said.
Speaking at a rally, Fakhrul said the country’s people are going through immense sufferings since the prices of all essentials have skyrocketed.
“This government is destroying the economy of Bangladesh in a planned way. Their only purpose is to indulge in corruption and looting. So our now one-point demand is the resignation of the government,” the BNP leader said.
He urged the government to dissolve parliament and hand over power to a neutral caretaker government by stepping down, paving the way for holding a credible election under a reconstituted Election Commission.
Read:Power Outages: BNP announces 3-day protest programme
“Wake up as we have no more time in our hands. We must oust this fascist and corrupt regime,” the BNP leader said pointing at his party leaders and activists.
BNP’s Dhaka north city unit arranged the programme in protest against the 'unprecedented' load-shedding and the hikes in fuel and gas prices.
Fakhrul said Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal admitted seeking a $4.5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), though last week he denied it.
“This is how this government resorts to blatant lies and deceives and fools people. But they are empty inside. They’re making the country bankrupt by depleting the money resources,” he observed.
Narrating a frightening economic condition, he said the government has not more than $16 billion usable forex reserves in the country. “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.
He also slammed his ruling party counterpart Obaidul Quader for his comment that there is no shortage of power and fuel oil in the country. “Why are you carrying out load-shedding for even 8 hours, if there is no shortage? Why are you rationing gas? Why are the experts talking about an ominous sign for Bangladesh?
The BNP secretary general alleged that the government has destroyed the energy sector of Bangladesh through corruption and plundering.
"People in cities are now experiencing power outages for two-three hours while people in the rural areas where electricity is needed for irrigation during Boro season are facing this problem for seven-eight hours. But this government looted thousands of crores of taka in the name of electricity generation and siphoned it abroad,” alleged Fakhrul.
Gano Forum: Hold next national polls under neutral govt
Dr Kamal Hossain-led Gano Forum on Thursday placed a host of proposals before the Election Commission including introduction of a neutral government during the general elections to make the polls a free, fair and participatory ones.
A team of Gano Forum, led by its executive chairman Mokabbir Khan, raised the proposals joining the EC’s dialogue at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area.
The party, in a written paper, said since independence, no election commission was able to gain the trust of all the political parties and the masses no matter how it was constituted.
It said the common people and most of the political parties didn’t get the atmosphere to participate spontaneously in the last two parliamentary elections held in 2014 and 2018. So, the elections were not credible to the world community, it added.
“The next parliamentary election is a big challenge for the incumbent commission,” said Gano Forum, who joined the last national election as an ally of BNP in 2018.
Also read: Be vocal against misdeeds: Dr Kamal urges people
About the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the national elections, the party said it already opposed the EVMs joining the EC’s talks in June last as the common people have little knowledge about the machines.
“We hope that the Election Commission will clarify its stance over EVMs soon before the nation, including every political party,” it said.
Gano Forum also proposed the Election Commission to remain fully independent in case of announcement of election schedules and execution of election rules.
The other proposals include formation of election area-based all-party monitoring teams during the polls, use of transparent ballot boxes in every booth and marking these with numbers, and announcement of the election results by only the Election Commission, not by the returning officers.
Tarikat Federation wants EVMs in 150 constituencies:
Bangladesh Tarikat Federation on Thursday proposed the national election to be held in three phases and the use of EVMs in 150 constituencies in the next general election.
A team of Tarikat Federation, led by its president Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary raised a number of proposals joining the EC’s talks.
Also read: All going pear-shaped for Gonoforum
The party also opined that the ceiling of election expenditure for an MP candidate should be raised to Tk 50 lakh instead of the existing Tk 25 lakh.
Tarikat Federation, an ally of ruling Awami League, suggested the commission holds the local body elections fully based on EVMs and ensure voting rights of expatriate Bangladeshis.
BNP blames AL’s internal feud for Narail communal violence
A BNP-constituted probe committee has blamed the internal conflicts in the local Awami League for the recent communal attacks on Hindus and their houses, shops and temples at Digholia village in Narail district.
"Based on our field-level investigation and the statements of the affected families and the local people, our probe body has come to the conclusion that the incident was an outcome of a naked grouping in local Awami League,” said BNP vice chairman and probe committee chief Netai Roy Chowdhury.
Speaking at a press conference on the findings of their investigation into the Narail communal violence at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office on Thursday, he also alleged that the ruling party used to consider minorities as a very easy element to make their narrow political gains. ”That exactly happened in Narail like in other places.”
Also read: BNP spent Tk 11m more than its income in 2021
Earlier on July 18, the BNP standing committee formed a seven-member probe body, headed by Netai Roy Chowdhury, to look into the communal attacks in Narail on July 15. The probe team visited the spot on July 23.
Netai Roy said Narail Awami League President Advocate Subhash Bose visited the victims two/three days after the incident while the local upazila chairman probably did not go to the spot and the administration was apathetic. “So, it’s completely a well-planned communal attack. We went there (Narail) and gathered information from the witnesses, victims and common people.”
Presenting their findings, he said about two to three hundred unruly people entered Sahapara shouting communal slogans suddenly after Maghrib prayers on July 15 and vandalised the houses of the Hindus and their temples.
The BNP leader said the attackers also set the houses and temples on fire and broke idols but police members were seen observing the incident standing idle near the spot.
He said a rebel candidate of the Awami League was elected chairman of the Digholia Union while the Awami League’s official candidate was defeated though 70 per cent of the voters were Hindus. “This’s the apple of discord. It was assumed that the Hindus voted for the rebel candidate. This's the reason behind the attacks.”
Netai said Hindu residents of Digholia village are now living in serious fear and anxiety following the attacks on them.
Speaking at the programme, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the probe report made it clear that the government was responsible for the incident in Narail.
“Whenever the Awami League came to power, repression and communal attacks on the minority communities and the incidents of plundering of their valuables and vandalising of their houses marked a rise. Most of their (Hindu’s) property is grabbed and owned by the leaders and workers of the Awami League," he observed.
Also read: An EC under partisan govt can’t hold credible election: BNP
The BNP leader alleged the Hindu community members have been evicted from their homes and land, driven out of the country in a planned way by the ruling party men to grab their property. “We think the rights of different communities now can’t be protected for lack of democracy.”
He demanded immediate arrest and action against those involved in the Narail incident. "It is unfortunate that so far we have not seen any exemplary punishment of those involved in these nefarious incidents."
BNP spent Tk 11m more than its income in 2021
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Thursday submitted its annual financial statement to the Election Commission for the 2021 calendar year showing that the party spent some Tk 11 million more than what it earned that year.
The BNP’s expenditure was Tk 19.8 million (exactly Tk, 19,847,171) against its income of Tk 8.4 million (exactly Tk 8,412,444) in 2021.
With this, the party spent higher than its income in the last three consecutive years.
Also read: An EC under partisan govt can’t hold credible election: BNP
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi submitted his party’s audited financial statement of 2021 to the Election Commission.
As per the law, each registered political party is obliged to submit its financial statement of the previous calendar year by July 31 each year.
The sources of BNP’s income included party members’ subscriptions, donations and nomination paper sales.
Also read: Govt promoting officials involved in enforced disappearance: BNP
The main heads of expenditures had been salaries and festival bonus of their office staff, utility bills, distribution of relief materials and financial assistance to repressed party leaders and activists. The additional money came from the party’s bank account, according to the report.
In 2020, BNP spent Tk 17.4 million against its income of Tk 12.2 million.
An EC under partisan govt can’t hold credible election: BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said it is impossible for any Election Commission to hold a credible election defying the instructions of a polls-time partisan government.
“I do not want to talk about the Election Commission. Our point is clear that there can never be a free and fair election under a partisan government,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference, at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, the BNP leader also said Awami League has retained power for three terms in a row by introducing “electoral autocracy under cover of democracy.”
“Many political scientists call it a hybrid regime that ultimately deprived people of their voting rights...under a partisan government, the Election Commission doesn’t have the scope to hold credible elections going beyond the instructions of that administration,” he said.
Fakhrul made the remarks as journalists drew his attention to Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal’s comment that the next election will be held as per the law unlike the national election held in 2018 as the current commission has come to deliver on its promises, not to make a U-turn.
Fakhrul also disclosed the outcomes of a virtual meeting of the BNP standing committee held on Monday.
Read:Power Outages: BNP announces 3-day protest programme
He said their meeting elaborately discussed load shedding and the dire crisis in the power sector that has made public life miserable.
The BNP leader said their policymakers think the power outages are badly affecting the production in industry and agriculture alongside adversely affecting the economy.
“The meeting felt that this deadlock in the power sector has been created due to installation of power plants in excess of demand by the government ignoring the rules and regulations only to protect interests of its own businessmen, serious corruption in giving opportunities for setting up quick rental power plants, the expenditure of a lot of money in the name of capacity charges.”
He said though the 19 quick rental power stations--set up under the government's special law--were supposed to be closed long ago, they are still in operation unnecessarily. “A good number of rental power plants are getting huge sums of money as capacity charges even though they are not producing any power.
The BNP leader also alleged that the government has to pay Tk54,000 crore to the rental power plants for three years without the generation of electricity.
“Around Tk42,000 crore went into the pockets of the government-baked traders. The government paid a total of $8.54 billion dollars as capacity charges over the last one decade. Signing deals with many power plants without properly determining the demand for electricity, the government has created an opportunity for corrupt traders to loot,” the BNP standing committee observed.
Referring to Tk 2.18 lakh crores state debt in the power sector, they said "Foreign debt in the sector is Tk 1.97 lakh crores. This loan will have to be repaid with interest over the next 30 years from 2024, which will be taken from people's pockets."
Referring to recent statistics of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the meeting said the country witnessed a nine-year high 7.56 per cent inflation in June of FY 2021-22. “Alongside the 42 per cent poverty rate, a fresh five lakh people are falling below the poverty line because of the unelected government’s wrong economic policy."
The BNP policymakers alleged that though the incomes of a quarter of politicians and businesspeople belonging to the ruling party have increased abnormally, the middle-class, lower-middle-class people, the peasants and the workers are getting poorer due to the government’s policy of plundering. “A stark income disparity has been created, leading to serious economic instability.”
Fakhrul said their meeting criticised the BGB Director General (DG) for his silence on the comment of the BSF DG that most of the Bangladeshis killed in BSF firing along the Bangladesh-India border were criminals. “The meeting feels that firing at the border is a violation of human rights. Even the criminals have the right to get justice.”
He said the BNP standing committee demanded a clear statement from the government on this matter.
Timely steps taken to face crisis: Quader
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said the government has taken timely steps to face the fall-out of the ongoing global economic crisis.
“The current crisis is a global one. Precautionary measures are being taken so that Bangladesh is not hit hard by this crisis,” he said in a statement.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said his party thinks that it would not be difficult to overcome any crisis if the people make a united effort.
He urged the people to be responsible, economical and exercise austerity in the use of state resources.
Read:Impacts of Russia-Ukraine war also affect Bangladesh: Obaidul Quader
Lambasting BNP leaders for raising questions over the country’s reserves of foreign currencies, the AL general secretary said the stock was never above US$ 5 billion during their regime.
He said Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves hit the country’s record highest of more than US$ 48 billion due to the economic development and good governance under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The export income of Bangladesh has exceeded US$ 50 billion under the leadership of Hasina as well, said Quader.
The foreign exchange reserves of many developed countries have fallen alarmingly due to the energy price hike in the world market, he said.
Power Outages: BNP announces 3-day protest programme
BNP will stage demonstrations across the country to protest against the ongoing load-shedding and mismanagement in the power and energy sector.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the three-day protest programme at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.
As part of the programmes, BNP’s Dhaka north city unit will stage a demonstration on July 29 while Dhaka south city unit on July 30. All other metropolitan cities will observe the same programmes on the same days.
Besides, BNP’s all district units will also stage demonstrations on July 31.
Read: Govt promoting officials involved in enforced disappearance: BNP
After that, the party will also stage demonstrations at the upazila level on the same issue.
BNP standing committee members worked out the programmes at a virtual meeting on Monday.
The meeting urged the government to step down admitting its failure to ensure the supply of electricity and energy.
Fakhrul said their meeting voiced concern that load-shedding for two-three hours in cities and five-six hours in rural areas has made public life miserable.
It also observed that setting up power plants to generate electricity without ensuring energy supply has compounded the problem. “The government has taken the power and energy sector to the path of darkness just out of its greed to plunder public money through corruption.”
The BNP policymakers think the power outages are badly affecting the production in industry and agriculture alongside adversely affecting the economy.
Fakhrul said they will come up with elaborate information about corruption, anomalies and mismanagement in the power and energy sector at a press conference very soon.
Establishing people’s voting rights crucial for democracy: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Monday said it is crucial to establish the voting rights of the people for ensuring democracy and good governance in the country.
“Voting is the gateway to democracy. If voting rights are not ensured, democracy is not guaranteed while good governance remains elusive,” he said.
Speaking at a programme of Chandpur district unit Jatiya Jubo Sanghati at Jatiya Party Chairman’s Banani office, GM Quader also said the accountability of the government and human rights are not established if voting rights are not ensured.
Read: CEC: Army may be called out for next parliamentary polls
“So, it is important to establish the voting rights of the people of the country,” he observed.
The Jatiya Party chief also said the people in Bangladesh are eagerly waiting for a free, fair and impartial election.
The leaders of the Jatiya Jubo Sanghati greeted GM Quader with a bouquet at the programme.
Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu and praesidium members Mir Abdus Sabur Asud and Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan were, among others present.
Govt promoting officials involved in enforced disappearance: BNP
BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday alleged that the government is giving promotions to the officials involved in enforced disappearance and murders.
"Based on the Prime Minister's offer for tea, I would like to say the US State Department imposed sanctions on some officials for indulging in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. But what did you (PM) do? You have recently promoted two people who are involved in such disappearance and murder,” he said.
Speaking at a human chain programme, he also said those who carry out the act of disappearance and murder in favour of the government are called Sheikh Hasina's `death squad'.
Read: AL's ‘mega corruption’ led country to edge of disaster: Fakhrul
Stating that an ancient Greek philosopher was killed by giving him hemlock juice, Rizvi said, "You (Sheikh Hasina) are offering tea. There’s a question in people's minds what will be there in Sheikh Hasina's cups of tea? Whether there will be the juice of hemlock in that tea? Because we saw how she dealt with the opposition in the past."
He alleged that the current government has made disappearances, crossfires and killings a part of politics in running the state. “Everyone knows who are involved in killings and crossfire. In today's era of technology, everyone is also monitoring it internationally.”
Jatiyatabadi Ulema Dal arranged the human chain programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting the hike in prices of daily essentials and indecent comments against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman by a ruling party leader.
Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she would offer BNP leaders to tea if they come to besiege her office (Prime Minister's Office).
Read: 'BNP desperate to grab power': Obaidul Quader
"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.
Rizvi, the senior BNP joint secretary general, said the PM’s soft tone like offering tea to the protesters is not a good sign. “Why is your voice suddenly so soft? It's a strange thing. When the tone of your voice weakens, it is an indication that some more terrible torture is coming down on the opposition.”
Recalling that Hasina asked BNP to send the list of cases to her before the 2018 election, he said, “Then we saw you filed cases against us more extensively.”
The BNP leader alleged that the PM is allowing the plundering of public money in the name of mega projects as she has no love for people.
END/UNB/ARJ/F 1831
BNP, JSD agree to wage anti-govt movement
BNP and Jatiya Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rob) on Sunday agreed to forge national unity to wage a simultaneous movement to oust the government.
The talks between the parties were held at JSD President ASM Abdur Rob's Uttara residence in the capital.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Rob led their delegations at the meeting.
"We've reached a consensus to oust the current regime through a united movement by forging national unity. We also won't participate in any election under the Awami League government," Fakhrul told the reporters after the meeting.
Read: Jasad wants monitoring of foreign embassies' role in elections
He said they also agreed to work together to ensure that the national election is acceptable by defeating the current government.
Apart from waging a movement for a credible election, the BNP leader said they will also work together to materialise the dreams of the freedom fighters and the Liberation War by bringing a radical change in the country and its governing system.