Accusing the government of shrinking the democratic space for political parties, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday sounded hopeful of restoring democracy this time with the united efforts of the people.
“Political parties are not given the minimum democratic space. Even, we’re being prevented by police from holding a Milad mahfil. We were also not allowed to hold doa mahfil in Munshiganj yesterday (Saturday). All this hypocrisy by the government does not make any sense,” he said.
Talking to reporters at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said the people can understand the hypocrisy of the government. “So, we want to hold the light of hope that the people of this country will definitely restore democracy.”
He said though Awami League is in the driving seat, it did not keep any scope for resolving the country’s political crisis through discussions. “She (Prime Minister) has to do everything when there is a major political crisis in the country. Most of the political parties are saying that they don’t want to go to the election under a partisan government.”
About the communal attack on the Hindu community in Narail over a Facebook post allegedly belittling Islam, Fakhrul said, “We strongly condemn and protest this incident. We feel that communalism is not desirable in the country in any way and it never brings anything good to the country. It’s also unfair”
Read: Don’t run away from election, CEC urges the political parties
He also urged everyone not to make any comment or post any status on social media that hurts the religious sentiments of people of other communities.
The BNP leader alleged that the Narail incident took place due to the government’s failure. “We think it is a total failure of the government. The communal incidents marked a rise during the tenure of the current government.
Voicing his concern about the country’s economic situation, he said indulging in corruption is Awami League’s basic characteristic. “Whenever they come to power, they indulge in extreme corruption.”
Fakhrul said the government has been implementing mega projects by borrowing money but commodity prices and inflation are increasing.
He also questioned the justification of some mega projects when the country’s 42 per cent of people are living below the poverty line and 21 per cent of people in many areas cannot manage two meals a day.
About his recent meetings with newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis and European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley, Fakhrul said they just talked about the bilateral issues relating to the interests of the people of Bangladesh. Source: United News of Bangladesh
China floods leave at least 12 dead, thousands evacuated
Flash floods in southwest and northwest China have left at least a dozen dead and put thousands of others in harm’s way, state media reported Sunday.
In the southwestern province of Sichuan, at least six people have died and another 12 are missing after torrential rain triggered flash floods, state-owned news outlet CGTN reported.
Some 1,300 people had been evacuated as of Saturday, the report said.
Meanwhile, in Longnan city in the northwestern province of Gansu, another six deaths were reported and 3,000 people have been evacuated, state broadcaster CCTV said. Rainfall in 1 1/2 day was as much as 98.9 millimeters (3.9 inches) in the worst affected areas, almost double the July average.
The rains come amid a heat wave in parts of the country including eastern Zhejiang province and the city of Shanghai, with temperatures soaring as high as 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit) last week.
Experts say such extreme weather events are becoming more likely because of climate change. Warmer air can store more water, leading to bigger cloudbursts when it’s released.
The flooding adds to economic woes brought on partly by stringent “zero-COVID” measures restricting travel and disrupting supply chains.
China is not the only country experiencing extreme weather this summer. In Germany, low water levels in the Rhine due to droughts have disrupted the supply chain for commodities into the country. Heat waves have also hit the southern part of the U.S., with temperatures expected to soar over 38 C (100 F) in coming days.
Source: United News of Bangladesh