BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said business people are going through a very tough time due to the economic crisis, mainly caused by plundering and siphoning off money abroad.
“Every big businessman is now saying one thing that they’re facing a very bad time and their businesses and factories are shutting down. They are also now in a situation that they even don’t have money to pay the wages of their workers,” Fakhrul said while speaking at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka, marking BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s 58th birthday.
The programme was jointly organised by the Uttar Banga Chhatra forum and Bangladesh Chhatra Forum.
“The government has been blaming the Russia-Ukraine war for the economic crisis. Maybe there are some reasons behind it. TK 86 lakh crores were laundered in the last 10 years, including Tk 78,000 crores in the last one year. Can the economy of a country exist where people belonging to the ruling party indulges in widespread plundering and money laundering?”
The BNP leader highlighted the fact that businesses need incentives and facilities from the central bank now to overcome the situation.
“But the banks are refusing to open new LCs due to dollar shortage while huge money from the reserves was plundered earlier. The common people, including the rickshaw pullers and hawkers, now say this government is a thief," he added.
Govt must pay price for taking 7 lives
Fakhrul alleged that police shot dead Bancharampur’s Sonarampur Union Parishad unit JCD leader Nayon Miah on Saturday without any provocation or reason. What kind of a country it is. You have to face trial in the people’s court.”
He said their party’s seven leaders and activists, including Nayon Miah, were killed in their ongoing movement for the restoration of democracy and people’s voting rights. “We lost our seven warriors and you (govt) must pay a heavy price for it.”
Fakhrul also asked the government to quit power safely before time runs out. “Otherwise, the turbulent mass wave that has already been created will sweep you away like a tsunami.”
He urged the judiciary to ensure justice as the government is implicating the BNP leaders and activists in false cases.
