Universal Pension another AL ploy to steal money: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the Universal Pension Scheme introduced by the Awami League government is another ploy to embezzle public money.

The Awami League intends to misappropriate these funds for its own purposes, including potential vote-buying, he said while addressing a BNP mass procession organised by Dhaka Metropolitan South BNP on Friday (18 August) afternoon.

The procession commenced at Dayaganj in the capital and concluded at Khilgaon, passing through locations such as Sayedabad Bridge, Dhalpur Community Center, Golapbagh, Kamalapur and the Buddhist Temple.

Speaking at the rally, Mirza Fakhrul said, "Restore our rights to vote, freedom of expression, the right to live, and lower the prices of daily essentials, including oil and lentils."

Mirza Fakhrul went on to say, "The Awami League has transformed the entire country into a prison."

"They have been arresting people out of fear. The Awami League has been in fear, and even Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ceased wearing new sarees. They are concerned about the money they have laundered. This situation has worsened further, with US agencies demanding a hearing about Bangladesh," he said.

At the rally, BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said, "We will not participate in any election under her leadership. We must rescue and secure our democratic rights. If India intends to support Sheikh Hasina's return to power, as they did in the 2014 election, the 18 crore people of this country will not stand idly."

BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury pointed out that the Awami League criticizes Americans in the morning but greets them with flowers in the afternoon.

The BNP organised mass processions across the country on Friday to press home its one-point demand for a non-partisan polls-time government. Its like-minded parties also held processions along with the BNP.

"Zia's contribution cannot be erased with lies"

Earlier, in a separate programme, Mirza Fakhrul said that Ziaur Rahman's contribution to the country cannot be erased with lies.

Denying allegations recently made by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that Zia was involved in the killing of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975, Fakhrul said, "Those who are spreading lies today that Ziaur Rahman were involved [in the killing of Bangabandhu] have only one objective- to denigrate him and try to erase him from history altogether."

He was speaking at an award-giving ceremony of an essay competition, marking the 42nd death anniversary of Ziaur Rahman at the Gulshan residence of the BNP chairperson on Friday morning.

A total of 69 participants won awards at the competition in three phases.

Mirza Fakhrul said, "They are relating such fictional stories that Ziaur Rahman was involved in the murder of late leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This is nothing but a distortion of history, misdirecting the movement that has started to bring back democracy to the people."

The senior BNP leader said Ziaur Rahman established multi-party democracy in the country while the AL established one-party rule, closed all newspapers, and took away people's rights.