Bangladesh News

BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday hinted at continuing his party’s boycott of parliament session saying the atmosphere is not congenial to their return to the House.

“We will go to parliament once proper atmosphere is created. It is the government which has to do this to make the House effective,” he said at a press briefing at the party central office at Nayapaltan in the capital.

The ninth parliament goes into its fourth session on January 4 next year, and the main opposition party is boycotting the House since its second session.

Delwar said the government move to rename Zia International Airport (named after late president Ziaur Rahman) has worsened the situation. His party did not rename things named after Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) when it was in power, he claimed.

“Parliament cannot be effective without the opposition but the government is making aggressive statements against it causing a deteriorating situation. They [government] have made parliament a place for BNP leaders’ character assassination,” Delwar said.

He alleged that ruling Awami League (AL) leaders are vilifying founder of BNP Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman both inside and outside the House.

The BNP secretary general bitterly criticised the government for its ‘failures’, saying it is doing nothing for the welfare of the people. The country is losing manpower market abroad and unemployment is increasing day by day, he said.

Asked whether BNP will launch a movement against all this, he said they don’t want to destroy the democratic order. They would go for agitation only if the situation forces them to do so. “BNP will announce programmes to resist the government’s undemocratic behaviour and steps,” he said.

BNP would no more sit idle, Delwar said, since a new leadership has emerged through its fifth national council held recently.

He resented that AL was conducting propaganda against the BNP council. “We arranged a successful council. Chairperson and senior vice chairman were elected at the council. We did not make any comment on Awami League council, so it is not fair for them [AL] to comment on BNP council,” he said.

Other BNP leaders present at the briefing included MK Anwar, Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Amanullah Aman Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.