Bangladesh may turn despotic like North Korea if opposition movement fails: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday warned that Bangladesh may turn into a tightly "regimented authoritarian" state like North Korea if their 10-point movement fails.

Speaking at a discussion, he also alleged that the Awami League government is completely destroying the main pillars of the state by introducing its own rules, regulations, and constitution.

"We've to make a decision whether we want to see the existence of Bangladesh and the restoration of democracy here. Otherwise, it'll become a completely regimented authoritarian country like North Korea," the BNP leader said.

He said the ongoing 10-point movement is only not an agitation of the BNP or any alliance. "This movement is a struggle for the survival of all 18 crore people of the country. So, let's take to the streets to make it a success"

Fakhrul said their party's 17 leaders and activists have already lost their lives in the movement that began on August 22 last year.

"Let's involve more people with our movement to establish a government and parliament of people through a credible election under a caretaker government and a neutral election commission by ousting the current regime," he said urging the political parties.

The 12-party alliance arranged the discussion titled "The Importance and Necessity of the 27-Point Proposal in Building Future Bangladesh" at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU).

Fakhrul alleged that a serious scandalous incident took place over the annual elections of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the government broke the election system of the apex court lawyers' body.

"The lawyers of the apex court of the country are called officers of the court. Holding the annual election of those who work in that court or cooperate in the judicial system is a tradition and everyone respect it.  But what happened yesterday (Wednesday) in that election is a most stigmatised and disgraceful incident for the nation and the judicial system of the country," he observed.

He also said the untoward incident over the SCBA election has exposed there is no democracy and the rule of law in Bangladesh. "I also doubt whether there is any government in the country."

The BNP leader said the SCBA polls had long been held in a fair and cordial atmosphere conducted by the lawyers. "But they (AL) broke this system yesterday (Wednesday). They also broke the election system of the Jatiya Press Club. It means that the Awami League whose only goal now is to completely break the main pillars of the state…they have already broken it. They have introduced their own rules, regulations, constitution."

Fakhrul slammed the government for its plan to reduce the width of the Jamuna River to 6.5 kilometres from 15 kilometres.

"The Jamuna River has been flowing for thousands of years in our country. Rivers cause problems like floods and inundation…But how will you justify the idea of narrowing this river and a Tk12,000 crore project in this regard?" he said. 

The BNP leader alleged that the government is taking such a project as it has become completely shameless.