‘Winning awards abroad meaningless if you don’t earn love of your people’

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday criticised the ruling Awami League for “depriving the countrymen of their rights.”

He was addressing the Rajshahi divisional rally of the party organised on Pathanpara Road with Rajshahi city BNP president Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul in the chair.

“You can’t gain anything by receiving awards from foreign countries, unless you earn the love of countrymen,” he said.

Fakhrul suggested that the government step down, dissolve the parliament, and release BNP chief Khaleda Zia from jail to earn people’s love.

“You still have time in hand. Establishing a democratic environment is possible by freeing Khaleda Zia,” he said.

Fakhrul called upon all political parties to unite and start a movement on the streets for freeing the BNP chief and said, the country would face a disaster if they cannot free her from jail.

He said the country has been destroyed by the present government and its economy has been damaged.

“They (ruling party men) robbed thousands of crores of money from the share market and siphoned the money out of the country. Those who looted the money were made advisers and ministers of the government,” said Fakhrul.

He said the people are witnessing continuously soaring prices of rice, while paddy farmers are not getting fair price for their crops.

“It is happening because the ruling party men are taking commissions from the businessmen. This is why the price of electricity is increasing, yet people are not getting enough electricity,” he said.

BNP leaders said over 20,000 people turned up at the rally amid ongoing arrests of their leaders and “unofficial strike” of transport owners.

Meanwhile, inter-district transportation remained unavailable yesterday after the rally, causing immense suffering to people.