It’s nothing but ‘monarchy’, alleges BNP

It’s nothing but ‘monarchy’, alleges BNP

BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Wednesday alleged that the current government is running the country “without people’s mandate like emperors” in the past.

“A government without people’s mandate can’t be a democratic and pro-people one. Kings and emperors in the past used to rule their kingdoms by force without any voting. Those who are now in power consider themselves as the kings and emperors as they also don’t need people’s votes,” he said.

Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion arranged by Homna upazila Jatiyatabadi Forum in Dhaka at the Jatiya Press Club, marking BNP leader MK Anwar’s second death anniversary.

He alleged that the government is turning Bangladesh into a “dysfunctional state” by destroying democracy and democratic institutions.

The BNP leader also said the government has lost control over every institution for lack of democracy.

He said though the government used to brag that no corrupt element will be spared, it has so far arrested only some small and junior leaders on charge of extortion, gambling and tender manipulation. “We’ve repeatedly been saying those arrested are small fry.”

Referring to big finical scams, the BNP leader said such big corruption cannot take place without the involvement of ‘big fish’ and the support of the government and the administration. “But they still remained untouched.”

He said the government has arrested some ‘small’ ruling party leaders with an objective to hush up the big corruption and corrupt elements. “We demand the government track down the big corrupt elements and arrest them.”

Mosharraf strongly condemned and protested the attack on teachers and students of Jahangirnagar University by Chhatra League ‘cadres’ on Tuesday.

“They (BCL men) exposed themselves through the attack. The current fascist regime made them monsters. This government has become the role model of fascist and autocrats, not the role model of development.”

BNP standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Selima Rahman, vice-chairman Barkatullah Bulu, joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and Gonoshasthya Kendra Founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, among others, spoke at the programme.