BNP slams Hasina for BJP-like mandate claim

BNP criticised Monday the Prime Minister (PM) for comparing her government's mandate with that of Indian BJP in her congratulatory message to Narendra Modi, saying Sheikh Hasina has made herself a funny person with such a claim, reports UNB.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, the PM in her message to BJP's prime minister-elect Narendra Modi said, "You have a big mandate as Bangladesh Awami League has. So, we want to work together."

He said the PM with such remarks not only undermined herself but also the country. "It's known to all how Awami League came to power without people's mandate through a lopsided election."

The BNP spokesman was addressing a programme at the Jatiya Press Club arranged by Dhaka city south unit of Jubo Dal protesting filing of 'false cases' against its president Rafiqul Islam Mojnu and other leaders and activists.

As the Indian parliamentary elections results were announced on May 16, Hasina reached out to the BJP's PM-designate in a warm letter saying, "With the kind of people's mandate given to their respective parties, they can work together to take the bilateral relationship to increasingly greater heights."

Fakhrul said though they had formed elite force RAB to check militancy and terrorism, the Awami League (AL) government is killing people and making them disappear by using the force for its political gain.

Referring to Narayanganj seven murders, he said it has proved the RAB officials were directly involved in the incident. "They (RAB) have carried out the incident in exchange for money. It's a horrible matter that the law enforcers are carrying out killings, abductions and forced disappearances."