BNP Has Betrayed the Nation Since Its Birth, Shibir President Saddam Tells Long-March Rally at Islamic University

Islamic University, Kushtia: Nurul Islam Saddam, central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir, has said the BNP has betrayed the nation, the state and the people since its very birth. He also described the BNP as a 'party of hypocrites'.

He made the remarks on Saturday (31 October) at 9pm at a wayside rally of the 11-party unity's Dhaka-Khulna-Jhenaidah-Kushtia long march, held at the main gate of Islamic University.

The Shibir president said the anti-autocracy movement of 1990-91 was fought over one core demand: restoring the caretaker government system. He alleged that the BNP came to power on that promise yet, in five years in office, did not even introduce the caretaker government bill. Only under intense mass movement did it introduce the bill in 1996 and call an election within 18 days, after which, he said, the people of Bangladesh drove it from power.

Nurul Islam Saddam said the 11-party alliance's long march is now moving across the country from Dhaka through Shariatpur, Gopalganj, Bagherhat, Khulna, Jashore and Jhenaidah towards Kushtia under the leadership of the Jamaat ameer. In his words, students and ordinary people, traders, labourers and day workers in remote areas are lining both sides of the roads.

He said they have one message: the people gave their verdict in the referendum for implementing the July Charter, and the public has now risen against those who, showing contempt for that mandate of 70 percent of the people, are running the country inside the old fascist structure in a conspiracy to make it dysfunctional.

Invoking the blood of martyrs Mugdh and Abu Sayeed, the Shibir president said their blood has not yet dried. He warned that if those in power do not step back from discourteous behaviour and arrogance towards the people, and do not radically change the state by reforming the constitution, the people will show them the consequences.

Saddam added that the people may stay silent but do not accept injustice. He alleged that the government is dragging its feet on implementing the July Charter and on reforming the Election Commission and the PSC, and is trying to influence elections and government job recruitment for its own interests.

He further alleged that PSC members are being forced to resign under the pretext of tea invitations and that the young generation is being betrayed by reinstating party activists. If such activities continue, he warned, the government will face stiff mass resistance.

Present at the rally were Dhaka University Central Students' Union vice-president Abu Sadik Kayem, Chittagong University Central Students' Union vice-president Ibrahim Hossain Roni, Dhaka-4 MP Syed Joynul Abedin, Chuadanga-1 MP Advocate Masud Parvez Russell, former Islamic University president Abu Musa, Islamic University unit Shibir president Yusuf Ali and general secretary Rashedul Islam Rafi, along with leaders and activists at various levels.