Opening aid corridors, leasing out ports not this govt’s job

Making decisions on a "humanitarian corridor" to Rakhine and leasing out container terminal of Chittagong Port to foreign companies are not the interim government's job, said BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman last night.

"It seems that the interim government is prioritising providing corridors or handing over port management to foreign entities. We want to make it clear that the government elected by the people will make decisions regarding corridor or leasing out port management."

Tarique was addressing a discussion marking the 8th founding anniversary of Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) at a city hotel.

The BNP acting chairman urged the government to announce a clear date for the national election without unnecessarily complicating the country's political situation. He underscored the need for establishing a government accountable to the people through their direct votes in a credible national election, reports UNB.

Otherwise, "it will not be easy to confront the fallen and runaway despotic Awami League", he said.

"We hope that the interim government will soon announce the date for the national election and fulfil its responsibility to establish the rights of the people of Bangladesh, rising above greed and temptation," the BNP leader said.

He said that political parties prepare themselves to serve the people through the practice of party politics, ideals, and political discourse, and to govern the country with the people's mandate.

"It is very important to strengthen democratic political parties, political norms, rules and systems, instead of depoliticisation," Tarique said.

He also stressed the urgent need to strengthen constitutional institutions, which can only be achieved through continuous democratic practice. He said it is the right time to implement the process of institutionalising democracy so that no future dictator or fascist can strip the people of their rights.

Tarique said BNP and other political parties have called for a clear roadmap of action from the government.

"But if we consider all the developments so far, we see that the government has not responded accordingly. Rather, it seems they have tactically entangled the announcement of a definite election date within an innovative condition of minor and major reforms.

"We are witnessing people from various walks of life gathering on the streets every day with different demands. In just 10 months, the signs of instability are visible both within and outside the government," he said.

The event was presided over by NDM Chairman Bobby Hajjaj. NDM leaders Mominul Amin and Parvez Khan, BNP leader Syed Moazzem Hossain, Chief Coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon Zonayed Saki also spoke.