BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said the removal of the two top leaders of Chhatra League proves that they (ruling party men) have indulged in all-out corruption and extortion together.

“It (removal of the BCL leaders) is a recognition of corruption and it has been proved that they (ruling party leaders) are indulging in the corruption,” Fakhrul came up with the reaction while addressing a press conference at party Chairmen Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in Dhaka this evening.

Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon and Golam Rabbani were removed last night from the posts of Chhatra League president and general secretary for their controversial activities. Awami League President Sheikh Hasina gave this decision on the two leaders of the pro-AL student body.

Referring to their corruption, Fakhrul said corruption and extortion spree is going on across the country and only an incident has been exposed that forced the prime minister to remove two leaders of her party’s student front.

The government has established autocracy in the country during its 10 years rule by destroying all democratic institutions deliberately, Fakhrul said at the press conference arranged for marking the International Democracy Day.

On this occasion, Fakhrul called upon all people to come forward with the spirit of the Liberation War for waging a collective movement to free Khaleda Zia from jail and to build a democratic country.

“We are 100 per cent committed to the democracy as our party has introduced multi-party and parliamentary democracy in the country and ensured freedom of the press,” he said.

Citing the overall scenario of the repression on the opposition party men, Fakhrul said the ruling quarter has materialised a reign of terror during its 10 years rule.    

A few weeks ago, the UN human rights commission expressed grave concern over human rights situation in Bangladesh and found that there is no similarity between the acts and words of the government, Fakhrul said.

The Canadian government has recently also expressed their similar reaction over the prevailing human rights situation in Bangladesh, he said.

Amnesty International and Human Right Watch have recently published the overall human rights situation of Bangladesh in their reports, the BNP leader said.

He also blasted the government for not giving any space to opposition political parties in politics and said at present there is no opposition political party in Bangladesh.

About Jatiyabadi Chhatra Dal council, he said the government does not believe in democracy and multi-party democracy and thus it has hindered the council using the court.     

Four university students remain missing since they were allegedly picked up by plainclothes men in the capital's Farmgate area on Saturday, the day before national election.

Their families yesterday held a press conference at Crime Reporters' Association Bangladesh, demanding safe return of the youths.

The missing are: Abu Khaled Mohammad Jabed, 25, a third year student of Bangla at Asian University; Borhan Uddin, 26, English student at Stamford University; Rezaul Khalek, 24, final year student of Pharmacy at Manarat University; and Syed Maminul Hasan, 27, former student of a Unani Ayurvedic Medical College.

“We are very anxious about their fate, as we have been out of contact with them for two days,” said Jabed's brother-in-law Yeasin Karim at the press conference.

He urged law enforcers to rescue the youths or to produce them before the court if they were detained for any crime.

Some plainclothes men identifying themselves as law enforcers dragged them out of a bus in Farmgate on their way home in Mirpur-1 after shopping at Aziz Super Market, Yeasin said quoting a friend of theirs who was also in the bus but escaped detention.

“We contacted local police stations and other wings of law enforcement agencies but all denied picking Jabed up,” he said.

The families drew attention of national and international human rights organisations to be vocal for their release.

Contacted, Abdul Baten, additional commissioner (detectives) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said they did not detain the youths.

Mufti Mahmud Khan, Rab's Legal and Media wing director also said they did not carry out any drive in Farmgate on that day.

Hitting back at the prime minister for her comment that Khaleda Zia paved the path for Ershad to take over power in 1982, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said that Sheikh Hasina was not “unhappy” for grabbing the power at that time.

“She (prime minister) frequently speaks in the parliament without any basis. This very person stated near a Bangladesh-India border that she is not unhappy when Ershad grabbed state power ousting an elected president,” Fakhrul said.

He came up with reaction after placing wreaths at the grave of the party founder Ziaur Rahman in Sher-e-Banglanagar area of Dhaka this noon.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told the parliament that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia created scope for HM Ershad to take over in 1982 and she benefited from the Ershad rule.

She also said calling military rulers like Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad president was illegal in line with a verdict of the High Court.

The PM made the remarks during a discussion on the condolence motion on late opposition leader HM Ershad and others in the Jatiya Sangsad.

Rejecting the PM’s remarks, Fakhrul said that Sheikh Hasina forming a political alliance with Ershad has destroyed the country’s democracy and snatched people’s fundamental rights.

“Now the government has made Jatiya Party as a domestic opposition in the parliament,” the BNP leader said adding that Ershad was always loyal to Sheikh Hasina and now his widow Raushan took Ershad’s the responsibility.

About Khaleda Zia’s release, Fakhrul said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been fighting for democracy since long, but the ruling quarter confined her in jail by hanging on to power forcibly.

“The current resume is anti-people. It has kept Khaleda Zia in jail with its politics of vengeance,” Fakhrul alleged.

Fakhrul again claimed that Khaleda Zia, now undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, is very sick now and she is now being denied proper treatment there.

He also expressed his hope that they would be able to free Khaleda Zia from jail and restore the country’s destroyed democracy by waging a collection movement on the street.

Fakhrul flanked by several leaders and activists of the party’s woman front Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal placed the wreaths at the grave marking its 41st founding anniversary.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today accused the jail authorities of neglecting the healthcare of the party chief Khaleda Zia, claiming her condition has deteriorated further.

While talking to media at party's Naya Paltan central office, the BNP leader said the prison authorities are not paying proper attention to Khaleda Zia's health condition.

He alleged that there was a plot to kill the BNP chief in jail by denying her medical care.

Quoting Khaleda’s relatives, who visited her at the jail on Tuesday, Fakhrul claimed the BNP chairperson’s health condition has worsened.

Khaleda has been in jail since February 8 last year after she was convicted in a corruption case.

Her five-year sentence was later doubled. The BNP chairperson was also convicted in a separate corruption case later that year.

Fakhrul said the BNP chief is so ill that she cannot move independently.

The BNP leader also alleged that the medical board formed at the High Court's order is not ensuring her treatment.

Fakhrul demanded the BNP chief be treated at a specialised hospital.

"If anything happens to her, the government, the jail authorities and the home ministry will have to take the responsibility," he said.