BNP having harder time than 1/11 period: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said their party is passing through a tougher time than the 1/11 political changeover period as the government has been trying to eliminate the party.

"We're having a very tough time and it's much harder than that of the 1/11period…the government has been trying to eliminate BNP's politics," he said.

Fakhrul made the remarks while speaking at a doa mahfil arranged by local BNP marking the 11th death anniversary of the party's former secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain at his village home in Manikganj's Pachuria.

He said their party chairperson Khaleda Zia has been kept under house arrest by convicting her in 'false cases'. "She's not even allowed to go abroad for treatment. Our acting chairman remains in exile abroad as he was also convicted in false cases. Our 35 leaders and activists have been implicated in cases while our over 600 leaders and activists have been made disappeared and over 1,000 killed."

The BNP leader said the government has again started filing cases against their party leaders and activists as part of its efforts to remove the party from politics. "They tried to destroy the BNP in the past and are also making efforts now to do it. "Such efforts were made at different times, including during the period of Ershad, to abolish the BNP, but all went in vain."

He said BNP is also reemerging from debris like Phoenix birds with the participation of youths and the new generation. "These young faces are the future of BNP and they will keep BNP alive."

Fakhrul alleged that the current government has destroyed all the potentials of Bangladesh and pushed its people towards a dangerous situation. "The prices of all commodities, including rice, oil, pulses, sugar and vegetables have gone up." The government has the ability to control the prices of goods."

He said the government itself is pushing up the prices of the essentials through the business syndicates of ruling party ministers, MPs and leaders.

"Corruption has spread throughout the country like cancer and we did not see such widespread and massive corruption in the past. The government has turned the country into a heaven of corruption in a planned way. They don't think of common people. The minister's remarks demonstrate that they have no love for people. In fact, they are least bothered about people's sufferings since they came to power by snatching votes the night before the voting day, the BNP said.

He alleged that though people's real income has decreased significantly, the ministers joked with people with their comments that per capita income has increased.

Fakhrul said the government has constituted the Election Commission to hold another farcical election under it. "Can a fair election be held by forming a new Election Commission? We know that if this government remains in power, no commission can hold a credible election. "

The BNP leader said the current government must quit by handing over power to a neutral administration to hold a fair and acceptable election by an impartial EC.

Earlier, Fakhrul along with some other party's central leaders offered fateha and placed wreaths at Delwar's grave.

Delwar died of old-age complications at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on 16 March, 2011.