People won't fall into AL trap again, says Fakhrul

‘Many ruling party leaders become millionaires by indulging in corruption’

February 19, 2022 00:00:00

Terming the formation of the Election Commission through the search committee a trap of Awami League to cling to power, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said people will not fall into it again, reports UNB.

"They (govt) have destroyed democracy and the electoral system. They're now questioning why we didn't give names to the search committee. It's not only a farce but also an extreme deception with people. We saw in the past they formed the Election Commission with their own people in the same way to hang onto power," he said.

Speaking at a programmme of the party's national committee on celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Independence at the BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office, Fakhrul also said the government is planning to hold a stage-managed election like in 2014 and 2018 by constituting a subservient Election Commission through the search committee formed by the president on February 5.

He said their party will forge a national unity to defeat the ruling party and establish the rule of people in the country by forcing the current government to hold a credible national election under a non-party neutral administration.

The BNP leader alleged that the government is ruining the country's economy by allowing the ruling party leaders to indulge in corruption and plundering. "But the government is always talking about development all the time. It seems that they have covered entire Bangladesh with gold."

He bemoaned that Bangladesh has dropped 17 notches in the Index of Economic Freedom 2022.

"According to a survey of the World Heritage Foundation, Bangladesh ranked 137among the 177 countries. Bangladesh's position was 120th last year," Fakhrul said.

He alleged that the government has snatched people's basic and economic rights after taking away their political freedom in a planned way. "The economy of looting has been introduced here...Corruption is inherent in them (AL leaders) and they don't consider it a crime. They think it is their right."