Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday alleged that the government had launched the universal pension scheme as part of its trick to steal public money and use it in the next general election.
‘Awami League has depleted Bangladesh’s resources by indulging in plundering. They have taken another trick to steal people’s money in the name of the pension scheme. They want to steal that money to hold the next election,’ he said.
The BNP leader, however, said that the country’s people would no longer allow the government to plunder their money.
He made the remarks while addressing a rally prior to bringing out a mass procession in the city’s Doyaganj areas arranged by BNP’s Dhaka south city unit.
Fakhrul urged the government to quit with dignity by handing over power to a non-party neutral government, paving the way for holding the next polls in a free and fair manner.
Or else, he said the country’s people know very well how to remove a fascist and autocratic regime as they did in 1952, 1969, 1971, and 1990. ‘Be careful, now it’s your turn (to be ousted). So, step down immediately by accepting the demand of the people.’
The BNP leader slammed the government for oppressing the opposition leaders and activists and arresting them in false cases. ‘The entire country has apparently become a jail. They arrested our many leaders out of fear of losing power.’
Issuing a warning to the law enforcers who are arresting BNP leaders and activists, he said that nine police officers who amassed wealth in the USA now can’t go there. ‘They now can’t sleep at night wondering what will happen to the resources they accumulated abroad.’
Fakhrul said that the situation was going to be even worse as different rights bodies and institutions are urging the US government to give more sanctions to ensure a fair election in Bangladesh.
He also criticised prime minister Sheikh Hasina her remark that some foreign countries is pressuring Bangladesh on holding free and fair elections and protecting human rights with a motive to control the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal to attack different countries in this region and destroy them.
‘There’s no point in talking about the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal…there is no way left (for the govt) to escape. There is no escape route on any side,’ the BNP leader said.
Later, Fakhrul together with party senior leaders, including standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, senior joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Dhaka south city unit convener Abdus Salam, and acting member secretary Tanveer Ahmed Robin brought out a procession with the participation of thousands of party leaders and workers. The procession ended at the Khilgaon intersection after parading through different roads.
