BNP turned July National Charter into document of deception: Nahid

Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam today (30 April) alleged that the BNP has turned the July National Charter into a "document of endless deception".

Speaking during the motion of thanks on the president's address in parliament, Nahid accused the ruling party of tarnishing the significance of the July Charter by turning it into a party manifesto.

Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal was presiding over the parliament at that time.

Nahid, also the National Citizen Party (NCP) convener, said, "By including a note of dissent, the gains of the July Uprising have been tainted. It has been written in the charter that if any party wins an election, it can take measures according to its manifesto. If that is the case, then what is the need for national unity? The BNP has turned the July Charter into a document of deception."

He further said, "Just as the Awami League turned the 1972 Constitution into a party manifesto, the BNP is now using the July Charter in the same way. The July referendum was a political decision and a mandate of the people. 

"According to that mandate, a constitutional reform commission should be formed without delay. However, the BNP is now moving away from the path of reform and focusing only on electoral manifestos."

'Current MPs owe banks more than Tk11,000 crore'

Nahid has alleged that some members of parliament collectively hold more than Tk11,000 crore in loans, with a majority belonging to ruling party lawmakers, whom he described as large-scale loan defaulters.

Nahid also noted that according to the election provisions, no loan defaulter can be a candidate in the elections. 

"But we saw that before the elections, they rescheduled their debts by paying some money and came to parliament as members of parliament. I am mentioning some numbers – Tk1,700 crore, Tk765 crore, Tk679 crore, Tk621 crore, Tk201 crore, Tk182 crore, Tk97 crore. These are the debts of our members of parliament."

He further alleged that a businessman was appointed governor of the Bangladesh Bank primarily to facilitate the rescheduling of these massive loans.

Quoting Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Nahid Islam said, "Among those who were ruling party candidates in the last election, 59.41% are in debt. Before the election, they deposited some money and rescheduled these loans."

He alleged, "The current governor is an expert in loan rescheduling. That is why he has been appointed to this position."

He also alleged that, for the first time in the country's history, a businessman has been made the central bank governor to create opportunities for rescheduling loans worth thousands of crores of taka.

Under such circumstances, he claimed, public confidence in the financial sector has completely eroded.