BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said that the ruling quarter is infected by the disease of making money through illegal means.   

“She (PM) said making money is a disease. But your people are infected by the disease largely,” Fakhrul made the remarks while addressing a programme in Dhaka a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina termed the trend of making money illegally as a “disease”.

While addressing a programme in Dhaka yesterday, the prime minister termed the trend of making money illegally “a disease” and warned that her government would not allow anybody to lead a lavish life with stolen money.

“Now you are calling upon your golden sons to go through the right way,” Fakhrul said referring to the prime minister’s remarks.

Coming down heard on the government as it is claiming that Bangladesh has emerged as a role model in development, Fakhrul said, “What is the role model? It is role model of indulgence in corruption, terrorism and children and women repression.”

Referring to the global financial integrity reports, Fakhrul said thousands crore of money is being siphoned off from banking sector of the country while the capital market has been looted.”  

He also expressed his condemnation to the foreign minister as he described the repression on expatriate female workers is a common matter and said such type mentality of the foreign minister is very dangerous for the countrymen.  

“We can’t accept anyhow that our women would work abroad ignoring their dignity,” the BNP leader said.

Foreign Minister AKM Abdul Momen recently told journalist that around 2.70 lakh femalw workers went to Saudi Arabia and of them eight thousand have been deported and 53 bodies have been brought home from there.

The number is very small as a percentage, the foreign minister said.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today alleged that the government is indulged in politics of vengeance with an ulterior motive to eliminate the existence of all opposition political parties in the country.

“The government is working in a planned way so that the existence of not only BNP, but also all opposition political parties are erased from the country,” Fakhrul said while addressing a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka.

Fakhrul came up with the allegation just a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, responding to a query in the parliament, said, “Awami League doesn’t believe in the politics of vengeance and if we did so, there would have been no existence of BNP.”

The BNP leader said, “By saying this, did she (PM) want to understand that they are really working to eliminate the existence of the opposition political parties?”    

“We the country’s old men have been noticing history since 1975 that one-party rule was established to daunt different opinions. Now the same rule is being materialised in a different way,” the BNP leader alleged.

He also blasted the government saying that the bail petitions of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia are reputedly being rejected by the court as the issue has been “politicised”.

“The government is violating country’s constitution without ensuring the independence of the judiciary,” Fakhrul said.

Referring to the Zia Charitable and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases, Fakhrul said the government has “destroyed all state organs and institutions by establishing its political control”.

Citing a statistic prepared two months ago, Fakhrul said around “26 lakh people” have been implicated with over one lakh politically motivated cases.

Over 5,000 leaders and activists including former lawmakers and commissioners have been disappeared and some thousands of them have also been killed, the BNP leader said.

“Most of our leaders are accused of at least 40 to 100 cases. How can we call the country a democratic state?” Fakhrul said.

The United States has said unlawful or political killings, forced disappearances, life-threatening prison conditions, freedom of speech limitations, negative government pressure on and fear of reprisal by press and media, and impunity for security force abuses were the most significant human rights problems in Bangladesh last year.

US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo formally released the 2018 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and delivered on-camera remarks yesterday morning at the press briefing room of US Department of State in Washington DC.

There were reports of widespread impunity for security force abuses last year, while the Bangladesh government took few measures to investigate and prosecute cases of abuse and killing by security forces, said the report.

It also considered a number of rights issues, such as torture, arbitrary detentions, corruption, trafficking, overly restrictive NGO laws, workers' rights, use of the worst forms of child labour, and violence against LGBTI persons; unlawful interference into privacy, censorship, site blocking, peaceful assembly and freedom of association; criminal libel; restrictions on freedom of movement, political participation, trade unions.

On the role of the police and security Apparatus, the US report said though civilian authorities maintained effective control over military and other security forces and the government had mechanisms to investigate abuses and corruption by them, those were not regularly employed.

The report said the government neither released statistics on total killings by security personnel nor took comprehensive measures to investigate them.

 In regards to the security forces' continued abuses with impunity, it identified lengthy trial procedures, retribution, and police having ties to ruling party men who occupy key positions in law and enforcement agencies.

“Reluctance to bring charges against police also perpetuated a climate of impunity,” it added.

On elections and political participation, the report termed the December parliamentary elections “lop-sided” and said it was considered to be marred by irregularities, including ballot-box stuffing and intimidation of opposition polling agents and voters.

It said the government mobilised law enforcement resources to level civil and criminal charges against opposition party leaders.

The report also highlighted numerous reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings committed by the government or its agents.

It said Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) reported security forces killed more than 400 individuals in crossfire incidents from January through September. Odhikar, another rights body, reported the number to be 415 from January through October.

The anti-narcotics drive in May resulted in an increase of reported extrajudicial killings relative to last year.

Human rights organisations and civil society contended the drive was a government effort to exert increased political control over the populace before the national election.

The report also highlighted claims that the government made limited efforts to prevent or investigate forced disappearances. HRSS stated there were 58 enforced disappearances from January through September. Odhikar said the number was 83 from January to November.

In terms of freedom of expression, it said the government sometimes failed to respect the right.

There were significant limitations on freedom of speech with self-censorship persisting due to harassment and fear of reprisal.

It said both print and online independent media were active and expressed a wide variety of views; however, media outlets that criticised the government experienced negative government pressure.

Civil society said political interference influenced the licensing process, since all television channel licenses granted by the government were for stations supporting the ruling party.

There were also incidents of journalists coming under attack by ruling party loyalists and intelligence men.

Independent journalists alleged intelligence services influenced media outlets in part by withholding financially important government advertising and pressed private companies to withhold their advertising as well.

In September parliament passed the Digital Security Act, claiming it was intended to reduce cybercrimes. Human rights groups, journalists, media outlets, and political opposition parties denounced the DSA as intended to suppress freedom and criminalise free speech.

Alleging mass discrimination to push it out of election, major political opposition Jatiya Oikyafront says it is now depending on the vote of the people.

“It's too apparent, the arrangement is complete to oust Oikyafront from the election,” Dr Kamal Hossain, key leader of the alliance, said in a press statement.

He alleged that the government had made “the arrangement” by pulling strings of the administration, judiciary, law enforcers, goons and the Election Commission.

“At this point, the people's vote is our hope. Voters never made a mistake in the past and they never will,” Kamal said.

He hoped that people would unite and overcome all challenges to appear for voting at the centres during the election on Sunday.

Meanwhile, expressing concern over Kamal's safety, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) yesterday offered to provide security for him.

Kamal, also the convener of Jatiya Oikyafront, however said he will seek police security only if he feels the need for it.

 Some DMP mid rank officials went to Kamal's chamber in Dhaka's Motijheel to discuss “security issues” around 12:10pm yesterday.

Prior to the meeting, several police teams took position in front of the chamber.

The meeting took place a day after a Jatiya Oikyafront delegation, led by Kamal, walked out of a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda following a heated exchange over the role of police during electioneering.

After meeting with the DMP, Kamal told reporters that the police officials said they would take security measures for him at both his house and chamber if needed.

“They even said they would provide transport security,” Kamal said.

Even though the DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia was supposed to meet Kamal, he could not go due to some other commitment and sent his apologies, he added.

Deputy Commissioner of Motijheel Division Anwar Hossain claimed that Kamal has expressed satisfaction over the security measures taken for him by law enforcers.

“We're here as part of our regular duty. We had an open discussion and wanted to know if he [Kamal] has any observations regarding his security and he said he'll inform us over phone if he notices anything,” Anwar said.

Responding to a question on whether the alliance would stay in the election, Kamal said, “We have to hold on to this. So that they [rivals] cannot say that we moved away. This is our right. Why should we move away? If they make it impossible at the end of the day, then people will see.”

He also said, “The government's actions are casting doubt regarding the credibility and fairness of the polls.”

Meanwhile Bangladesh Police Service Association protested a comment about police made by Kamal during Tuesday's meeting with the CEC.

“His comment was motivated, objectionable and inconsiderate,” they said in a statement.

Kamal, at the meeting, had said some police officials were “acting like beasts".

BNP candidate for Laxmipur-3 constituency Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee today said that he would welcome his party if it takes decision to quit the December 30 national election race.

“I will welcome if the election coordination committee of my party quits the polls as there is no atmosphere for the election in the country,” Anee, also publicity affairs secretary of BNP, told The Daily Star this evening.

He said the ruling party leaders and activists and the members of law enforcement agencies are engaged in carrying out terrorist activities in his electoral area.

“I could not carry out electioneering in my area. Under this situation, I informed my party that I would welcome its decision if it quits the polls,” the BNP leader said.

On Monday, Anee came under attack in Shantirhat area of Laxmipur upazila that left 30 of his followers including three journalists injured, the BNP leader alleged.

“My party men are being attacked. Even their residences are also being vandalised. The returning officer is not picking up my phone call,” he said.

The congenial atmosphere is totally absent in the area for holding the election in a free, fair and credible manner, the BNP leader said.

Anee is contesting the polls against Awami League candidate AKM Shajahan Kamal and Islami Andolon Bangladesh candidate Md Ibrahim.