BNP to give govt logical time, not indefinite period, for polls: Fakhrul

SYLHET, Aug 25 (UNB): BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said his party is willing to give the current interim government a reasonable time, not an indefinite time, to hold an acceptable election by reforming all the institutions.

While exchanging views with journalists at a hotel near Sylhet Airport on Sunday, he also said no conspiracy of Sheikh Hasina will work to mislead the people of Bangladesh.

"When the interim government, led by Mohammad Yunus, is leading the country towards stability and when the country is turning around, Sheikh Hasina sitting in India is making a deep conspiracy against the country. It won't succeed," Fakhrul said.

He said a truly democratic Bangladesh should be built by cleaning up all the garbage of the past.

"That is why we want to give the interim government logical time to arrange an acceptable election by reforming all the institutions of the country. But it's not for an indefinite period. The caretaker government led by Justice Latifur Rahman gave a fair election in just three months," the BNP leader said.

He said they are providing all-out support to the interim government, which was formed with competent people to help the nation rebound following the fall of autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina. "We will continue to provide them all sorts of assistance."

Fakhrul said a part of the country has been affected by severe floods. "We've not seen such flash floods in the last 15 years. This terrible flood happened as India opened their dams. They didn't even give any forecast before opening the dam."

He said there is still no solution to ensuring fair water sharing from the common rivers with India.

The BNP leader accused India of using water aggression as a weapon. "A protest against this water aggression started from Sylhet, led by M Ilias Ali. As a result, he was made to disappear."

The BNP secretary general and his spouse arrived in Sylhet by air at 11:30 am.

Later, they, along with BNP leaders and activists, visited the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (R.M.) and Hazrat Shah Paran (R.M.) and offered fateha there.

Fakhrul was visiting Sylhet for the first time after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's regime.

Meanwhile, BNP Standing Committee member Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed on Sunday demanded the list of 487 persons who had taken shelter in cantonments to be made public soon.

"Make the list of 487 people who took shelter here (in the cantonments) public immediately," he said.

The BNP leader placed the demand while talking to reporters after placing a wreath at the grave of BNP founder President Ziaur Rahman in the capital.

Hafizuddin also urged the interim government to drop the 'controversial persons' from its advisory council and induct more students in it instead, if needed.