BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Monday accused the ruling party leaders of depleting the banks in the country through widespread plundering.
“The banks are being looted. Bangladesh Bank is categorising the banks as red, green, and yellow (based on their financial condition). Red means on the verge of destruction. The owners have looted those banks. They have pushed the banks into bankruptcy by giving loans to whoever they want,” he told a human chain programme.
To protect those owners, the BNP leader said attempts are being made to merge the depleted banks with the government banks or profitable ones.
Voicing concern over the dwindling economic condition, he said the value of money is diminishing regularly. “The exchange rate has dropped by seven takas against one dollar a few days back. Such a big devaluation of our currency never happened in the history of Bangladesh. Currently, it takes approximately Tk125 to purchase one dollar.”
Nazrul, a BNP standing committee member, also said the government is making the nation’s burden heavier as the amount of the country’s debt has exceeded even a hundred billion dollars. “This is the loan of all of us. But we’re not the ones enjoying it. Only a handful of people used it, becoming millionaires and even billionaires.”
Dhaka district unit BNP arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club demanding the unconditional release of its president Khandaker Abu Ashfaq and other arrested leaders of the party and its associate bodies.
Nazrul said when the country’s coastal areas are facing cyclonic natural disasters Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was talking about bringing back BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman from London instead of focusing on saving the lives of people and their assets.
“We all know that people’s lives have become miserable due to continuous price hikes of commodities. Saving the people from the adverse effects of rising prices is not their main task. Because the government-backed syndicates and corrupt individuals are increasing the prices of the essentials, cutting into the pockets of the people…It’s not a problem for them,” the BNP leader said.
He also said the government is least bothered about public sufferings and public resentments as it does not need the votes of people.
Nazrul said the Prime Minister is angry with Tarique Rahman as even 10 percent of people did not go to the polling stations to cast their votes in response to his call.
“That’s why the cyclone or tidal surges, price hikes in commodities, currency devaluation, bank looting, growing national debt, corruption, lawlessness, and the international sanctions on the former army chief and former police chief are not her government’s main concerns…its only task is to bring back Tarique Rahman and punish him,” he observed.
