The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has demanded publication of Joint Border Management Agreement signed in Dhaka on Saturday. Acting secretary general of the party Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the demand.
“The agreement must be made public before the nation, “ he said at a roundtable in Dhaka on Saturday.
He alleged the government has done nothing in resolving bilateral problems with India due to its submissive foreign policy. “Bangladesh has been held hostage by India and it cannot raise voices against the incidents of killings of Bangladeshis in bordering areas,” he said.
He was addressing a roundtable discussion on ‘Human Rights Convention 2011’ at the National Press Club in the city organized by Bangladesh Labour Party. Alamgir said bilateral disputes including border killings, due share of water of common rivers, construction work of Tipaimukh dam and dispute over enclaves are yet to be resolved despite repeated assurances from the two sides.
He said there is no sign of human rights and democracy in the country. “People’s fundamental rights have been snatched by the government. The country did never face such bad days. The number of extra-judicial killings and torture behind the bars are increasing alarmingly,” he added.
Among others, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam Dhaka city unit Ameer Rafiqul Islam, JAGPA chief Safiul Alam Prodhan, Ismail Hossain Bengal spoke at the function with Mostafizur Rahman Iran, president of Labour Party in the chair.
Besides, BNP standing committee member MK Anwar at a pre-procession rally in front of the party office said the government has brought the 15th amended to the Constitution to perpetuate its power. The rally was organised by Jatiyatabadi Sechhachasebak Dal Dhaka city south unit, a front organization of BNP demanding release of detained leader Oasik Billah.
The procession ended in front of the National Press Club after marching through different city streets. Terming the amended Constitution the ruling party’s political manifesto, Anwar said the government has snatched people’s rights to express opinion.
He asked for dissolution of the election commission (EC) as he said it is blatantly biased towards the ruling party. If the government accords the EC a ministerial status, it would never be accepted by the countrymen, he said.
-With The Independent input
