AL out to divert BNP from anti-govt movement: Fakhrul

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said some Awami League leaders' dialogue issue is only for diverting his party's movement for a fair election under a caretaker government.

"The speeches on dialogue by home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Awami League leader Amir Hossain Amu are to divert BNP from its anti-government movement," he told the media on Thursday.

Mr Fakhrul was addressing a discussion on the need for a caretaker government system to address the present crisis of democracy in Bangladesh.

The programme was held at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the capital.

"They (Awami League leaders) are now talking about dialogue just to suppress public sufferings due to the ongoing persistent load-shedding in the country," said the BNP secretary.

The University Teachers Association of Bangladesh (UTAB) organised the event marking the 42nd death anniversary of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.

Awami League can craftily divert public attention, Mr Fakhrul said, adding that public sufferings know no bounds due to the ongoing persistent load-shedding.

Citing no alternative to a caretaker government, he said: "You (Awami League) take a step and form an impartial caretaker government; we'll see what to do next."

"We're fighting to get back people's rights. The people of the country know it very well how to realise their demand through a movement," he maintained.

"Certainly, there will be a general election. But that should be under a neutral caretaker government. We must realise this demand and will take to streets for that, if needed."

Questioning the poor state of the power sector, Mr Fakhrul said the government splurged billions on it.

According to economists, he said, the government has been facing a dearth of dollars and taka, resulting in the current crisis.

Democracy does not match with the Awami League, Mr Fakhrul said, claiming: "They (Awami League) don't tolerate freedom of expression and speech…"

The current crisis in Bangladesh has surfaced in the absence of a caretaker government, he continued.

The Sheikh Hasina-led government revoked the caretaker government system in 2011.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said as nationalist forces have started emerging, the totalitarian Hasina government's rule would no longer sustain.

BNP chairperson's adviser Farhad Halim Donar, the party's education affairs secretary ABM Obaidul Islam, assistant information and research secretary Qader Gani Chowdhury and president of a faction of Bikalpo Dhara Nurul Amin were present, among others.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com