Govt has no foreign friend, says BNP

BNP on Sunday alleged that the current Awami League-led government has no foreign friend to get support for resolving the protracted Rohingya crisis.

“They (govt) are acting like slaves with their knee-jerk foreign policy. They’re sacrificing the rights and interests of Bangladesh and its people,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Speaking at a discussion, he further said, “The government couldn’t send a single Rohingya over the last two years as it has failed diplomatically. Now they’ve no friend. They used to say loudly their relation with China is as high as the Mount Everest and it is even higher with India. But what’s the outcome? What’s the position of China and India over the Rohingya issue?”

The BNP leader said the government could not convince India and China, and get their support to overcome the Rohingya crisis due to its diplomatic failure. “Rohingyas has become a kind of burden for Bangladesh’s economy and society. So, it’s necessary to send them back to their motherland on humanitarian ground, but the government couldn’t do it due to its week foreign policy.”

BNP arranged the discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, marking its 41st founding anniversary.

Fakhrul said the government is now accusing BNP of obstructing Rohingyas from going back to their homeland only to shift its failures onto others.

He said their party founder Ziaur Rahman could repatriate Rohingyas within a short time in 1978 through bilateral talks while Khaleda Zia sent back around 2.33 lakh Rohingyas in 1992 through the United Nations. “That’s why BNP’s role is now crucial in protecting the country as it’s a party which upholds people’s interests and their hopes and aspirations.”

The BNP leader said their Chairperson Khaleda Zia who freed the country from the grasp of autocratic ruler HM Ershad in the 90s through her nine years’ struggle has now been languishing in jail for her efforts to restore democracy in the country.

“We must get united putting aside all misunderstandings and divisions among us to free her from jail and restore democracy. There’s no alternative to forging a national unity through uniting all democratic parties and people of all walks of life to make our movement a success,” he added.

Fakhrul said it is regrettable that Awami League, which once had carried out a movement for caretaker government, abolished the system by amending the Constitution to cling to power. “It’s a deception with people.”

He demanded the government take steps to hold a fresh and fair election under a neutral administration and the Election Commission cancelling the results of the 11th parliamentary election.

“On this founding anniversary of our party, we’re taking a vow to consolidate our party further. Our acting chairman Tarique Rahman has already started reorganising the party with his outstanding organisational competency. We believe that our party will be revitalised within a short time to oust the current fascist regime, the BNP leader said.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the country is passing through a very bad time due to the misrule of the current government. “There’s no democracy, rule of law and justice. Now the government can resolve no problem of people.”

He urged their party leaders and activists and people from all walks of life to get united to free Khaleda Zia from jail and thus restore democracy and the rule of law in the country.

BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said opposition leaders and activists are now being subjected to judicial repression. “We now don’t get justice from courts as we belong to the opposition.”

He also said Khaleda Zia is not getting justice from the judiciary due to the government’s interference in courts, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President ASM Abdur Rob said it will not be possible to free Khaleda by raising slogans at indoor programmes. “A national unity must be forged keeping the own party united. No single party will be able to ensure the fall of an autocratic regime without uniting people.”

“You need a stick to kill a snake, but you need a weapon to kill a tiger. A weapon is also necessary to oust an autocratic regime, and that weapon is people’s unity,” he observed.

Senior leaders of BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront and the 20-Party Alliance addressed the programme.