AL 'helping big power' make Bangladesh a subservient country: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday alleged that the Awami League government has been working in unison with a big "invisible force" to turn Bangladesh into a state "dependent on others".

“Through the BDR carnage, it has been exposed that an invisible force -- a big power -- has been trying to always subdue Bangladesh with various tactics to weaken the country and keep it under their control,” he said.

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader also said, “Unfortunately, the government we have now is working in full solidarity with them (big power) to help them achieve their goals.”

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BNP arranged the programme at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) in memory of those killed, including the army officials, in BDR mutiny, marking the 13th anniversary of the tragic incident.

On February 25-26, 2009, a cabal of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) killed 74 people, including 57 army officers, of the paramilitary force at the Pilkhana Headquarters.

Following the heinous killings of the army officers at the Pilkhana headquarters, the government renamed the mutiny-hit paramilitary force BDR as Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), changing its logo and uniform.

Fakhrul alleged that the current government has destroyed all the institutions in Bangladesh. “They’ve destroyed democracy, the security system, the electoral system, and social system of Bangladesh with a goal to identify Bangladesh as a dependent and subservient country.”

He said a short and partial report on the investigation into the BDR carnage carried out by the army was published.

“But the main part of the investigation was not published. The report of the investigation conducted privately was also not made public. What’s the reason behind it and whose interest was served? We could not know it over the 13 years,” the BNP leader observed, reports UNB.

He said it is clear that the army was not sent that day to control the BDR mutiny on political grounds. “It’s the responsibility of the Prime Minister to send troops to control the BDR mutiny immediately. She didn’t do that.”

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Fakhrul said the independence and sovereignty of the country were put at stake with the killings of so many army officials in the incident as the government tried to resolve it through discussions instead of applying military action.

He said lack of democracy is the root cause of every crisis the country has been facing. “Those who are now in power have no right to represent people since they’re not elected representatives."

Fakhrul said the current horrible fascist regime snatched people’s human rights, right to vote, and right to living and expression.