BNP senior leader Major (retired) Hafizuddin Ahmed on Monday expressed doubt that the interim government may have an intention to prolong power, as there is no visible progress in its reform efforts.
Speaking at a discussion at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU), he also alleged that several individuals with pro-Awami League affiliations have been appointed to the advisory council of the interim government.
“An interim government has been put in place under the leadership of Dr Muhammad Yunus. We know that the main function of this government is to hand over power to elected representatives after holding a fair election. But they want to stay in power for 20 years,” the BNP leader said.
He urged the government to arrange the national election by completing the electoral reforms in a very short period of time.
“The rest of the reforms will be done by the elected government. I don’t see any reform happening anywhere. It has already been seen that many pro-Awami League individuals have been included in the advisory council,” said Hafiz.
The programme was organised by Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal to commemorate National Revolution and Solidarity Day, marking the civil-military uprising of November 7, 1975.
Hafiz, a BNP standing committee member, said the Awami League’s fascist government under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina has destroyed all the country’s institutions, including the police. “They turned the police into a killer force.”
He said Sheikh Hasina’s government enacted a dangerous law like the Digital Security Act to suppress the voice of the people and dissent.
The BNP leader said the throne of the government was shaken in the face of a strong movement by the BNP and other political parties.
"At the final stage, students and their parents joined the movement, forcing Sheikh Hasina to flee the country in just one outfit. She couldn’t even take a second sari… yet she shows no regret," he observed.
Hafiz said the people of Bangladesh will never accept Hasina, as she fled the country after causing deaths to many people.
"If you have the courage, come back to the country and apologise to people with folded hands for your mistakes, the injustice, the destruction of democracy, and the killing of innocent lives. But don’t make baseless claims, like saying the fall of this government will be ensured by December," he said.
The BNP leader also said they consider the leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement as their own children. "But their actions give the impression that they alone freed the country, as if no one else had any role in it.”
He also questioned who would account for the several thousand of leaders and activists from the BNP and other opposition parties who sacrificed their lives and were wounded during the movement against Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Hafiz slammed Sarjis Alam, a leader of the anti-discrimination student movement, for his remark that "two thousand people did not give their lives just for an election. "Is voting really that simple? The vote is a symbol of democracy. It was for the vote that we fought the liberation war in `71," he said.
The BNP leader said the mass movement in July and August was for democracy, freedom of speech, and the fundamental rights of the people, with the first step being a fair election.
"An election is the core element of democracy. Yet they claim the country was not freed for an election. Then what were the struggle and all those sacrifices for? Is voting such a trivial matter? It manifests that they (the student leaders) do not believe in building a democratic society. Perhaps they think that a few rallies will solve the country’s problems,” he observed.
Hafiz, a valiant freedom fighter, said the transformation of Bangladesh into a democratic state is not possible without elections and the right to vote of the people.
“We support Dr Yunus’s government and will continue to do so. But you shouldn’t try to hold onto power forever. Don’t think about staying in power for 10 or 20 years. The prices of all essential goods have already risen, and discipline in the police and other forces has yet to be restored," the BNP leader warned the government.
He also said those who were the masterminds behind the Awami League and had benefited from privileges over the past 16 years still hold their positions. "They should be removed. This is not only the responsibility of the interim government, but also of the political parties.”
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