PM’s interview with VOA stuns BNP
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed today claimed that the interview of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the Voice of America today over the country’s electoral process has stunned people.
“We have got stunned and become speechless hearing the prime minister’s (Sheikh Hasina) interview. It is ridiculous and blasphemous,” Rizvi came up with the remarks while addressing a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka.
“Sheikh Hasina, in her interview today, said the farcical election was held in Bangladesh after the assassination of the father of the nation. Those, who come to power illegally, have destroyed the country’s electoral processes. We have brought the democratic continuation through waging movement. As a result, polls are now being held in the country in a fair manner and people are franchising peacefully. We improved the electoral process as we want that people would elect their leaders according to their own choice,” Rizvi said in a written statement quoting the PM.
Rizvi said, “According to her [PM], we will have to understand that there will be no different opinion, no freedom of the press in the country and polling centres will be kept occupied while election will be held without contestant.”
He claimed no impartial election was held under the management of Awami League since 2009.
“The incident like grabbing polling centres forcibly, stuffing ballot boxes and papers and issuing threat to the voters took place during the election under the Awami League,” he alleged.
He added, “Awami League has turned the election commission into a rubber stamp by appointing controversial person as its chief.”
“We the countrymen, as well as the entire world, have got stunned hearing the prime minister’s interview,” the BNP leader said.
Economy to be affected if power tariff hiked
The BNP spokesperson criticised the government for its attempt to increase the price of electricity that will adversely affect the people of the country and its economy.
“Industrial and agricultural production, growth of infrastructural development, household management and trade and commerce will be affected badly while the people’s living cost to be increased if the price of electricity goes up,” he added.
Urging the government to backtrack from such move, Rizvi said, “It will be the government’s illogical decision if the power tariff is increased again.”
Increased rate of holding tax illogical
Citing media reports, Rizvi said the two city corporations have increased holding taxes for the house owners illogically plunging the city dwellers into a deep crisis.
“It is the government abnormal and illogical decision,” the BNP leader said adding that the government is desperate to impose additional taxes on people by increasing prices of utility services to “plunder public money”.
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