Tarique urges interim govt to eliminate market syndicates
Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Friday urged the interim government to prioritise the elimination of market syndicates established during the Awami League regime.
The party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, on the other hand, said on the day that the government should bring deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh from India as a warrant for her arrest had been issued by a court in Dhaka.
The remarks from the two senior BNP leaders were made in separate programmes in Dhaka.
Joining a discussion organised by the Ziaur Rahman Foundation at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, to mark the organisation’s silver jubilee, Tarique also urged the government to take pragmatic steps as a priority to control the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.
The BNP leader suggested an increase in the size of the advisory council, if necessary.
‘People, particularly those in low-income groups and operate small businesses, are enduring financial hardships due to the unusual price hike of essential commodities,’ he said.
‘It may be challenging to dismantle the business syndicates established during the previous regime, but it is not impossible if there is proper will and appropriate interventions,’ he said.
Tarique also warned that the aides of the deposed despotic regime were still conspiring to create difficulties for the government.
He also said that the government’s disarray had become evident and they had failed to establish a clear priority agenda.
The BNP leader said that the conflicting statements from different advisers regarding the next general election had caused confusion among the people.
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, talking to reporters after placing a wreath at the grave of former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman on Friday, said that Bangladesh had signed an extradition treaty with India and the interim government should take steps to bring Hasina back home through diplomatic efforts as a warrant for her arrest had been issued by a court in Dhaka.
‘The issue of her extradition can be resolved through diplomatic discussions. If that is not done, top terrorists will get opportunities to take shelter in India and other countries, he said.
Rizvi also alleged that India was supporting crimes and pampering killers by providing Sheikh Hasina with shelter.
‘Our neighbouring country yesterday (Thursday) clearly said that Sheikh Hasina was there. Their statement seems to be behaving like a “Big Brother”,’ he said.
Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a media briefing on Thursday told journalists that ‘former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina had come to India for safety reasons; she continues to be here (India).’
Criticising the demand for proportional representation, Rizvi also urged the government not to create complications over the issue of proportional representation and said that the system had failed in many countries.
Besides, BNP Chairperson’s advisory council member Zainul Abedin Farroque said that the prices of essentials would not increase if the Awami League government could bring the culprits to book during their rule.
He said this while addressing a symbolic sit-in programme organised by an organisation ‘Protibad’ demanding the withdrawal of all cases field against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman.
BSS
