President's JS speech lacks direction for nation: BNP

Rejecting the presidential speech in parliament, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said it could not give any direction to the nation at this “critical juncture” for the country.
“The nation didn't get any direction from the president. He just read out a speech of the government. He even said extremism bred during BNP's rule, which is absolutely untrue,” he told a discussion meeting at the Jatiya Press Club.
Jatiyatabadi Krishok Dal, a front body of BNP, hosted the meeting to mark the 76th birth anniversary of late president Ziaur Rahman. The birthday was observed on January 19.
The government is raising fresh issues only to divert public attention from its failure to resolve the ongoing crises in the country, complained Fakhrul. “They [govt] wanted to link BNP with the army coup, though BNP believes in democratic process for transfer of power. We reintroduced democracy in the country after fighting against an army ruler for nine years.”
The BNP leader said they had joined the presidential dialogue on formation of the new Election Commission, though they knew that it would not be fruitful. “The president had assured us of conveying our demand to the government that they should first fill a constitutional vacuum, created due to the scrapping of the caretaker government system.”
He further claimed that there is no resemblance between the presidential speech and the existing reality. “The post of president is neutral. He cannot belong to any particular party. But his speech didn't reflect it.”
In his speech, the president has described the development activities of the government, but in reality the government has totally failed and plunged the country into a deep crisis, maintained Fakhrul.
On Wednesday, President Zillur Rahman addressed the inaugural sitting of the 12th session of the ninth Jatiya Sangsad. Lawmakers of the main opposition BNP and its like-minded parties did not turn up.