Rizvi critcises ban on jurnos’ entry into BB

Refuting Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader's comments on journalists' assess to Bangladesh Bank (BB), senior joint secretary general of BNP Ruhul Kabir Rizvi questioned on Sunday if journalists' entry is not allowed, then will the mafias, hooligans and loan defaulters enter there?
"Is Bangladesh Bank a restricted product? Is Bangladesh Bank a restricted cantonment? A man doesn't face inconvenience while moving in cantonment area. If the journalists are not allowed to enter the bank (BB), then will the mafias, hooligans and loan defaulters enter there?," he questioned.
Mr Rizvi was addressing a programme at the party's Nayapaltan central office in the capital.
"The country is passing days through a dismal condition. The days that have gone were also not marked with happiness either. Life and property have no safety here. The government takes different tactics one after another to divert public attention," he said.
He observed that lynching of two labourers in Modukhali of Faridpur district was a part of that tactics.
"They don't regard people as human beings. They like to walk on the blood and dead bodies. They are busy turning the whole country into a graveyard. Today an alive person may become dead and the Modukhali incident has proved that (example)," he said.
"This is one of their planned sabotages. The government is doing that just to hide its multiple failures," he continued.
Citing the Centre for Policy Dialogue's (CPD's) report, he said that Tk120 billion (Tk12,000 crore) was misappropriated from banks.
He claimed that 12 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product) has disappeared.
Mr Rizvi said that those who were involved in misappropriation of bank money are either relatives or close persons of the ruling clique.
About reserve, he said that foreign reserve is now at the bottom.
He said, "The government claims that reserve now stands at US$13billion whereas the conscious people say that it may be between $7 to $8 billion. Of the amount, $4 billion will go for loan payment of the power sector. "So reserve is now really at the bottom," he continued.
"Bangladesh Bank is an entity to save people's savings. Journalists may visit there (central bank)," he said.
"Journalists are not allowed to enter Bangladesh Bank just to prevent them from knowing and writing on those who have built houses and made fortunes abroad by misappropriating or looting bank money," he added.
"But is it possible to hide the real incident by denying journalists' access to Bangladesh Bank,? he asked.
He said that the government has shown higher rate of success in public exams just for political purposes but not for grooming students as worthy human resources.
BNP's training affairs secretary ABM Mosharraf Hossain, assistant organising secretary Md Khandar Mashiqur Rahman and general secretary of Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal Shahidul Islam Babul were present, among others.

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