BNP willing to stand beside govt to fix Rohingya crisis: Fakhrul

Stating that BNP can potentially help for smooth repatriation of Rohingyas, party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said that his party is always prepared to stand beside the government to quick fix to the issue.

“We wanted to stand beside them (govt) to accelerate the repatriation issue but they turned down our willingness,” Fakhrul said this while addressing a public rally at Registry Office ground in Bandarbazar area of Sylhet this afternoon.

At a programme in Cox’s Bazar on September 22, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader called upon BNP to stand beside the government without doing politics over the Rohingya issue.

Responding to the call, Fakhrul said, there are around 12 lakh Rohingyas who have been staying in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh for the last two years while the government has met its utter failure in accelerating the Rohingya repatriation process.

On August 28, BNP called upon the government for forging national unity among the political parties and civil society members to resolve the Rohingya crisis and ensure the refugees’ repatriation to Myanmar.

On the other hand, Quader on August 29, outright turned down the call saying that BNP does not need to forge any national unity to deal with the issue.

He also blasted the ruling Awami League for the claim that they have transformed the country into a role model for economic development and said, “The spat of the casino business might be an outcome of the development.”

Sylhet district unit BNP organised the rally pressing home its demand for immediate release of the party’s Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

He also took a swipe at the ruling party men as they blamed BNP for introducing the casino business in the country and said, what they had been doing over the years sitting in the state power?

Criticizing the government for increasing prices of gas, electricity and other daily commodities and depriving the farmers of the due price of paddy, Fakhrul said all democratic institutions and the state organs have been collapsed due to the irregularities of the government.

Calling upon his party men to be united for waging a movement for Khaleda Zia’s release, Fakhrul said, “The government must meet a fag end while BNP chairperson will get release eventually.”