BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday hoped that there will be a change in state power soon under the leadership of their party.
“We’re now confident that we’ll be able to free the country (from AL hands) under the leadership of Tarique Rahman and the direct and active participation of Begum Khaleda Zia within a short time,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader said a national unity must be forged without buying time to defeat the current government through a movement.
“If we want to make Bangladesh a truly happy and prosperous-democratic country, then we need to unite our people. We have no scope to waste time. Let’s unite ourselves, all the political parties and all the politicians,” he said.
Bangladesh Chhatra Forum and Uttaranchal Chhatra Forum organised the discussion at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, marking the 15th anniversary of the arrest of its acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
Tarique, the eldest son of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, was arrested on March 7, 2007 by the joint forces on different charges, including corruption, from their then cantonment residence.
After nearly 18 months of imprisonment, he went to London securing bail from the High Court in September 2009. He has been staying there since then.
Fakhrul said Awami League fears Tarique because of his outstanding organisational capacity as he had started uniting the nationalist forces across the country in a very short time. “That’s why they’ve been spreading misinformation against Tarique Rahman and implicating him in false cases one after another.”
He said Tarique was arrested in 2007 as part of a deep-rooted conspiracy by those who wanted to turn Bangladesh into a failed and subservient state. “The 1/11 political changeover in 2007 was not only against the BNP but also against the nation with a motive to depoliticise the country.”
The BNP leader criticised the ruling party leaders and ministers for what he said were carrying out false campaigns about the country’s development and economic progress. “But the international organisations’ survey reports suggest that the poverty rate in Bangladesh has increased by 2 percent.”
He said only the Awami League leaders and activists have witnessed the economic development as they have ‘amassed wealth by indulging in corruption and plundering public money’.
Accusing the government of destroying the country, Fakhrul the Sheikh Hasina-led government should hand over power to a neutral administration to pave the path for a fair election.
