BNP's Fakhrul warns of attempt to bring bureaucracy ‘under one party’s control’
Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Senior BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that efforts are being made to bring Bangladesh’s bureaucracy under the influence of a particular political party ahead of the upcoming 13th parliamentary election.
Speaking at an event in Dhaka on Friday, the BNP secretary general did not name the party, but warned that such moves would not be tolerated.
“Efforts are under way to bring the bureaucracy under the control of a particular party. We [the BNP] will in no way tolerate this.”
“We want to make it clear that during the election, the bureaucracy must remain completely neutral, as must the government. The Election Commission must also act with full impartiality,” he added.
Fakhrul urged state institutions to stay above partisan politics, saying the current administration must play a neutral role during the polls.
“No state institution should take sides with or promote any political party. We want to tell the current government once again: you must play a completely neutral role. We won’t accept anything else and the people of this country won’t accept it either.”
The BNP leader also said the election must be held within the timeframe agreed upon by the party’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.
“We want to make it clear that the election will be held within the period determined in June through discussions between our leader Tarique Rahman and Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. Otherwise, there will be no election,” he said.
Fakhrul was speaking at a discussion organised by the Shaheed Jihad Smriti Parishad at the Engineers Institution auditorium in Dhaka’s Ramna area to mark the 35th anniversary of Nazim Uddin Jihad’s death.
Jihad, a Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activist, was killed in police firing during protests against military ruler HM Ershad on Oct 10, 1990. His death intensified the anti-Ershad movement, which eventually led to Ershad’s resignation on Dec 5, 1990.
Since then, the BNP has observed Oct 10 as “Jihad Day”.