Fakhrul terms govt as ‘failed’ over inaction during New Market clashes

Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other party leaders and activists place wreath at the grave of Ziaur Rahman in Dhaka on Thursday. 

Bangladesh desk: Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said that police inaction to prevent the clashes between shopkeepers and Dhaka College students in the capital’s New Market area proved that there was no government in the country.

‘This government has become a completely failed government, and it has also turned the country into a failed state. The two sides fought for hours in front of the eyes of the police, but the latter didn’t take any steps to stop the clashes’, he said.

Talking to reporters at BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave in Dhaka, Fakhrul added that police officers justified their action by saying that they played a neutral role.

‘Playing a neutral role they helped deepen the problem and escalate the clashes. Police’s inactive role is responsible for the violent clashes and the loss of lives’, he added.

Earlier, Fakhrul along with the leaders of the new partial committee of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal paid homage to Zia by placing a wreath at his grave.

At least 40 people were injured as a group of Dhaka College students and shopkeepers in the New Market area fought pitched battles on Tuesday following an altercation at a fast food shop on Monday evening.

Later, two injured people–courier service employee Nahid Hasan and shop employee Morsalin – died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Tuesday and early Thursday.

Fakhrul alleged that the current Awami League government has obliterated democracy in a planned way after ‘usurping’ the state power by force.

He also alleged that the government has completely failed to run the country and establish a democratic system.

‘This illegitimate government has snatched people’s voting rights. The students are also being deprived of their basic right to get education at minimum cost’, Fakhrul said.

The BNP leader also alleged that the law and order and economic situation of the country had collapsed because of widespread corruption.

He said that the government should step down immediately and hand over power to a neutral government, paving the way for holding an acceptable and participatory election.

By paying homage to Zia, the BNP leader said that the new JCD committee had taken a vow that they would turn the BNP’s student wing into a very strong and dynamic organisation for the ‘restoration’ of democracy.

He hoped that the JCD partial committee would form a full-fledged committee within a short time and reorganise their organisation across the country to intensify the movement for the unconditional release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail and the restoration of democracy and people’s voting and other rights.