Government will bear responsibility if fascists infiltrate workers' movement, Nahid Islam says in Pabna
The garment workers' movement has grown large because the government failed to plan at the right time. If fascists have infiltrated the workers' movement, the government itself will have to bear that responsibility, opposition chief whip and NCP convener Nahid Islam has said.
He made the remarks on Tuesday (3 November) afternoon while answering reporters' questions at the Pabna District Shilpakala Academy premises.
Criticising various government activities, he said the government has shown complete failure over the past eight months. It has not been able to normalise the country's law and order situation, and ordinary people are fed up today. LPG gas prices are being raised repeatedly, leaving people struggling, and the government has not implemented the promises made in its election manifesto. He said the public no longer has confidence in this government and people must take to the streets against the government's failure and anarchy.
Calling the workers' demand for a wage increase logical, Nahid Islam said the government should have held talks with the workers. The government failed to take initiative at the right time, and he said the NCP will stand with the workers' fair demands.
He also questioned why the BNP, which in the past called workers' wage-increase movements logical, is not now taking a position in favour of their fair demands.
Nahid said if fascists create anarchy in the country, the government will have to bear the responsibility. Intelligence agencies are being used against the opposition, he said, while the government shows little activity over those he described as enemies of the country and nation fleeing to India.
Criticising the BNP, the NCP convener said the BNP is sheltering the Awami League across the country. Fertiliser dealerships have been given to the BNP and its supporters, while others did not get them, and he alleged the BNP is misappropriating crores of taka through family cards given to party leaders and activists.
On the Ganges water-sharing treaty, he said the treaty cannot be concluded because of the government's failure. The NCP will hold a street movement in December demanding a fair share of water.
Nahid Islam said if the government fails to control the garment workers' movement, it can tell them. In his words, they know how to wage a movement and how to control a movement.
On local government elections, Nahid Islam said they are in the Jamaat alliance, but they will contest local government elections separately on their own. If the situation in the country deteriorates in December, the government will have to bear that responsibility. The NCP will be on the streets in December and the movement will continue for people's rights and the country's interests, he said.
Later, NCP leaders met at the Pabna District Shilpakala Academy auditorium for an exchange of views on reviewing the party's organisational progress and planning for the upcoming local government elections. Nahid Islam spoke as chief guest. Special guests present included NCP joint convener Ali Ahsan Junayed, joint member secretary S M Saif Mostafiz, organising secretary Imran Emon and Jatiya Swechchhasebak Shakti convener Mahin Sarkar.
