Govt has no roadmap for implementing ‘lockdown’: BNP

BNP today claimed that the government does not have any roadmap to implement "complete lockdown" for preventing transmission of Covid-19.

"The government has no coordination, no planning and no roadmap. What will happen after seven days of lockdown? How do they plan to feed the common people?" -- said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Addressing a press conference at party chairperson's Gulshan office today, the BNP leader said making the lockdown a success is very tough job. The government has to engage people for the implementation of the plan.

He asked the government to form a national committee comprising of representation from all political parties, experts and NGOs. "They will supervise whether the lockdown process is going well," he said.

Fakhrul said Bangladesh has a history of tackling cyclones and natural disasters. "To get the benefits, people have to be engaged. But they have not been engaged," he said.

Asked whether the party is opposing the "lockdown", Fakhrul said, "We are not opposing it. What's going on in the name of lockdown? People are on the street, factories are open. It seems there is no planning."

Slamming the government for skyrocketing price of daily essentials, he said the whole market is captured by the government's loyal syndicates.

"As the government does not have any responsibility towards the people, it does not care about their sufferings. And people's sufferings have reached a new high," he said.

Fakhrul urged the people to unite to oust the government from office and establish a "people's government".

"What happened centring Independence Day (Hefajat mayhem) is sponsored by the government and it created the situation to eliminate the opposition force from the country," he claimed.

"We are not talking in favour of Hefajat. Our point is that everyone has right to freedom of expression. The government played a provocative role on March 26 and is now arresting the opposition men," he added.

Replying to a query, Fakhrul said party Chairperson Khaleda Zia's physical condition is stable and her treatment is going on.