People Around the Prime Minister Were Never Seen Before and Will Not Be Seen Again, Hasnat Abdullah Says in Mohammadpur

Hasnat Abdullah, senior joint convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and a member of parliament, has said that the people around Prime Minister Tarique Rahman were never seen by ordinary people before and will not be seen in future either. Many of them will leave the country and return to where they came from if a crisis arises, he added.

Hasnat Abdullah made the remarks on Tuesday, 27 October, while speaking at an NCP mass contact programme in Mohammadpur in the capital. NCP leaders and activists are carrying out mass contact in various areas ahead of the party's rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital on 30 October.

Hasnat Abdullah said some people have come from London and joined the circle around Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. In his words, those people themselves know and believe that they will not be able to stay for more than two years, whereas the people who voted for them believed in a five-year term.

He alleged that, if checked, it would be found that the people around the prime minister either hold dual citizenship, face proceedings abroad, or always keep a flight ticket in their pocket. When a crisis comes, they will board that return flight and go back to where they were, he said.

Hasnat Abdullah also spoke about extortion and tender manipulation by BNP leaders and activists. He said it is true that not everyone in the BNP commits extortion, but everyone who does commit extortion belongs to the BNP. The same applies to tender manipulation and the partisan capture of offices, he said.

Criticising the people around the prime minister, he said some sycophants have joined that circle. The prime minister eats mashed pumpkin and vegetables and sleeps only two to three hours a night, he said, alleging that the Salahuddins have kept him busy in this unhealthy routine while they themselves are busy looting, and the prime minister cannot see it.

On Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmad, Hasnat Abdullah alleged that he is convicted of corruption, was sentenced to 13 years in jail, faced a proven allegation of taking a bribe of one crore taka, and faced allegations of occupying enclosures and tender manipulation. He questioned how such a convicted person was given charge of the home ministry.

In his Mohammadpur speech he also said that in the past, criminals were seen taking to the field with weapons, but now ministers are seen doing so. He asked whether the criminals have become ministers or the ministers have become criminals. Saying that if a state minister has to take to the field with weapons for security it means the home ministry is not working, he demanded Salahuddin Ahmed's resignation.

Hasnat Abdullah alleged that Salahuddin Ahmed has broken his constitutional oath by speaking untruths and appears to be implementing another agenda instead of doing his ministry's work. He also raised questions about the BNP's past political role.

He said there needs to be discussion of the BNP's history of power transfers, the 1996 election, the party's role regarding the caretaker government system, past repression, Hawa Bhaban, corruption, and the party's role in the move to abolish the caretaker government system.