AL having nightmares of losing power: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday alleged that the government is having nightmares of losing power since it has no confidence in the country’s people.

“We want to hold a rally at Nayapaltan peacefully on December 10. But they (AL) have lost sleep in fear of losing their power. They themselves are saying that their thrones will be overturned,” he said.

Speaking at a massive rally on Rajshahi Madrasa ground in Rajshahi, the BNP leader also said they had many rallies at Nayapaltan, even in presence of party chairperson Khaleda Zia, earlier without any chaos.

“You (AL) know you’ve committed many misdeeds. You have no confidence in people. So, you are also sacred and having nightmares that Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman are coming (to power),” he observed.

Fakhrul said the government has been carrying out various occurrences and filing false and fictitious cases against the BNP leaders and activists.

“They’ve now started staging the drama of militants. They create militants for their own needs. They also set fire to buses and indulge in arson violence for their own interests. This is the Awami League.”

Fakhrul categorically said the next national election must be held under a neutral caretaker government. “Otherwise, no election will be held in the country.”

Referring to Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader’s remark that the election will be arranged as per the constitution, the BNP leader said the ruling party has repeatedly amended the constitution to hang onto power.

“The constitution that you have amended repetitively for your own interest can’t continue,” he said.

The BNP leader recalled that Awami League enforced hartal for 173 days and killed many people in the name of its movement for the introduction of the caretaker government system in the country.

“But they abolished this system after coming to power as they realised that they would not be able to retain power with the votes of people,” he said.

Fakhrul said the ruling party leaders and activists have long been indulging in widespread plundering and corruption. “Awami League is no longer a political party. It has become a party of plunderers. They’re amassing huge wealth through looting while the common people are becoming poorer.”

He said some farmers in Pabna were arrested and taken to jail a few days back for their failure to repay the loans of Tk 25,000 from a state-owned bank. “They (AL leaders) are depleting the banks by looting thousands of crores of taka. But no action is being taken against them.”

The BNP leader said a huge amount of money was taken away from Islami Bank in the name of some ‘ghost’ companies. “The government is systematically destroying the economy. They also destroyed our political structure.”

Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies from eight districts under the division participated in the rally.

The leaders and activists from Natore, Bogura, Pabna, Sirajganj, Naogaon, Joypurhat and Chapainawabganj started arriving at the rally venue in processions since morning, braving transport strikes. Law enforcers took adequate measures to maintain the law and order situation in and around the city centring the rally and set up check-posts at all entry points.

The BNP on September 27 announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional cities. The party will conclude the divisional programmes by holding its last rally in Dhaka on December 10.