BNP demands cancellation of power deal with Adani Group

Terming anti-state the government’s power deal with the Indian Adani Group, BNP on Thursday demanded immediate cancellation of the agreement.

“People of Bangladesh have already received a copy of the contract with Adani Group. This is an extremely uneven deal signed with an ulterior motive,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion, he said the question has now arisen in different countries of the world about how a government can ink such an agreement as the Washington Post exposed the Bangladesh government’s power agreement with the Adani group.

“This agreement with Adani is against the country and its people. I would like to say this deal must be repealed immediately. At the same time, the indemnity act for the power sector should be revoked,” he said.

Association of Engineers Bangladesh (AEB) arranged the programme titled “Catastrophe in the Power Sector: Economy in Deep Crisis” at a city hotel. AEB secretary general Engineer Hasin Ahmed delivered the key-note speech.

Fakhrul said the Awami League government could sign the deal with Adani as it has no compassion and responsibility for the people of Bangladesh. “This government has also no accountability to the people of Bangladesh. They steal money and siphon off it abroad to build houses, do business and live a life of luxury by cutting the pockets of our common people."

He said the ruling party leaders are also plundering public money to use it during the next general election to ensure their victory as they did during the 2018 polls.

“They’ll again rig the election with money. They’ll give money to various institutions involved in conducting the election... envelopes containing money will go to all levels from the presiding officers to the police, BGB, and even those who will act as the striking force. This is true as it happened in 2018," the BNP leader said.

He said they have come to know that the government is making a new strategy to use the members of Ansar and VDP to rig votes in the next polls.

The BNP leader said the government has also been using a new strategy in the local body polls for ensuring the victory of the ruling party candidates by changing the results of different centers. “(Monirul Haque) Sakku of Cumilla is one of such victims”