Fakhrul: Bangladesh’s crises deepened after Jan 7 election

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said the government believes countrywide crises were resolved after the January 7 general election, when in reality they have escalated since then.

He was speaking at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan on Sunday. The press conference was organized to announce the decisions of the last BNP standing committee meeting, held on May 8.

The senior BNP leader was addressing a press conference for the first time in six and a half months. 

During the conference, he highlighted the party's position on the country's economy and political situation.

Addressing the ruling Awami League, Fakhrul said the ruling Awami League's internal crisis has deepened since the January 7 election. “If the Awami League fails to hold a new election, its future prospects will be bleak.”

Before the start of the press conference, Fakhrul talked about his health, saying he had lost 6kg of weight after going to prison. He fell ill in prison and he took treatment. Then, he performed Umrah this month.

Talking about arrests of BNP activists, he said the primary aim is to eliminate opposition political parties. “The court is the last hope for people, yet no one finds relief there.”

Key BNP leaders are still in jail, he added.

“The Awami League has systematically turned Bangladesh into a failed state. The most corruption is in the economic sector of the country. A new thug group has been created in the country which is helping the government stay in power.”

He said: “To hide the corruption, a ban on entry of journalists to Bangladesh Bank has been issued. Many media outlets have reported that the products imported from India are of poor quality and harmful to public health. The quality of imported products needs to be verified to ensure public health and safety.”

Stating that toxic ingredients were found in 527 Indian products, the BNP secretary general said that earlier in 2022 and 2023, 121 Indian products were identified as harmful to the human body. Yet the country of origin of the goods has not taken any appropriate measures to make these goods free from defects. 

In such a situation, “our standing committee meeting thinks that products imported from abroad should not be released in the market without inspection by Bangladesh Safe Food Authority or related responsible institutions,” he said.

He also said talent is being lost due to factionalism in the education sector.

Regarding US official Donald Lu's visit, Fakhrul said the BNP is not interested in such matters. 

Earlier, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir last held a press conference at the Gulshan office on October 27 last year.