BNP pledge-bound not to nominate loan defaulters: Fakhrul

FE REPORT | Published: January 18, 2025 23:11:54

Bangladesh Nationalist Party is committed not to nominating loan defaulters for the next general election, BNP Secretary -General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said Saturday while focusing on their declared reform agenda.
"We are very much conscious about the matter of loan defaulters. We are committed not to give them nomination in the upcoming national polls," Mirza Fakhrul said while responding to a question regarding his party's stance on allowing loan defaulters to run as candidates.
Mr. Alamgir was speaking at a symposium titled 'White Paper and Thereafter: Economic Management, Reforms, and National Budget,' held in Dhaka.
The event was organised by the White Paper Committee 2024 in collaboration with the Citizens' Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh.
Responding a question on the poor quality of data generated by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Mr. Alamgir criticised the state of statistics in the country.
"The data quality has reached an unprecedented level of distortion in the past 16 years," he replied to a question of previous BBS secretary Ms. Riti Ibrahim.
On the Rohingya issue, the BNP leader accused the ousted Awami League government of failing to prioritize the crisis.
"The Rohingya issue was not on their priority list (Awami League). During our regime, we took measures and helped facilitate their repatriation to Myanmar," he said.
He emphasised that both India and China are crucial stakeholders in resolving the crisis.
Mr. Alamgir highlighted the importance of matching political and economic reforms that had been discussed in the symposium with the expectations of the common people.
"The marginal people working in fields or manufacturing units have their own expectations and demands. The discussions and thoughts exchanged here must align with their realities," he said.
The BNP leader also called for the election to be announced soon, emphasizing that an elected government is necessary for implementing reform agenda.
"All issues can be discussed in parliament. An elected government, backed by the people's mandate, can carry out all kinds of reforms."
Two years ago, BNP proposed 31-point reforms, focusing on economic and political changes, he told the meet.
The BNP's reform plan includes amending the Constitution to limit the prime minister's tenure to four years and restricting any individual from serving more than two terms as Prime Minister.
"We also proposed establishing a bicameral parliamentary system-one house for political leaders and another for those not directly involved in politics but capable of contributing to political and economic development of the country," Mr. Alamgir added.
In response to a question as to whether BNP would be able to implement reforms if it comes to power, Mr. Alamgir said, "We are united with the people. While some expect an interim government to solve everything within six months, that is unrealistic. This is why we are prioritizing elections."
He said democracy has never been properly practiced in Bangladesh parliament. "Let us try and see if we can make a change."
Mirza Fakhrul also commented that it is up to the people of Bangladesh to decide whether the Awami League can participate in future elections.
Professor Rehman Sobhan, Chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), also spoke in the session, moderated by CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya.
Professor Sobhan pointed out longstanding issues in the country, such as a low tax-to-GDP ratio and persistent money laundering, issues of loan defaulters, which he said have not been adequately diagnosed.
"The banking sector remains unregulated, and the loan-default problem has worsened over the past 15 years. The interim government should focus on macroeconomic stability and restoring discipline in the banking system," he opined.
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