PM adopts tactics to ‘create smokescreen over black money’: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has termed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s remarks on whitening undisclosed income as “tactics to create smokescreen.”

He made the remark while speaking at a discussion at Jatiya Press Club in the capital on Saturday (June 8). The discussion titled “What we need to do for the emancipation of Bengalees and Sirajul Alam Khan” was organised by Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD).

Mirza Fakhrul alleged that powerful people were allowed to indulge in looting in the proposed budget of 2024-25 fiscal. A separate arrangement has been made for the powerful people in the budget. The same thing is happening every year. Those who are economic analysts, they say that the budget would not bring anything good to common people, because the country’s major problem is inflation. Price of essentials have become so skyrocketing that common people can’t tolerate it anymore. “But, the prime minister has tried to create a smokescreen. How long she would cheat people through her tactics?” he asked.

Claiming that the independence of Bangladesh has been distorted, the BNP leader said: “A party doesn’t want to recognise the contributions of anyone except an individual. Because of it, they deny outright the contributions of all who had struggled for the independence of Bangladesh. This party doesn’t deny only, they also talk undermining them. Because of the same reason, they also can’t tolerate Ziaur Rahman.”

Referring to Sirajul Alam Khan, Mirza Fakhrul said he worked actively remaining in the ‘powerful force’ of our liberation war. “I do a different politics, he also did a different politics, but his contributions can never be denied. Those who want to deny, they want to deny the independence of Bangladesh.”

Chaired by JSD President ASM Abdur Rab and moderated by joint general secretary Kamal Uddin Patwari, the discussion was also addressed by Nagorik Oikya’s Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Bangladesh Biplobi Workers’ Party’s Saiful Huque, Bangladesh Dasod’s Nurul Ambia, Bhasani Anusari Parishad’s Sheikh Rafiqul Islam Bablu, Ganasanghati Andolon’s Jonayed Saki, Rastra Sangskar Andolon’s Hasnat Qauyyum and JSD’s executive general secretary Shahid Uddin, among others.