The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has demanded a government statement over recent bank robberies and attacks on police stations in Bandarban by the Kuki-Chin National Front, saying that the government鈥檚 position over the incident was raising doubts.
鈥楰NF demands autonomy in large parts of the hilly area, and BNP feels that such a demand is a direct threat to the sovereignty of Bangladesh,鈥� BNP said in a statement following its standing committee meeting held virtually Monday night.
The meeting also decided that the party would not participate in the forthcoming upazila parishad elections to be held in four phases starting on May 8.
鈥楾he meeting felt that the statements of the home minister and the army chief proved that the government had direct links with these armed groups, and the subsequent statement of the foreign minister made the matter more mysterious,鈥� BNP said.
It said that such attacks and subsequent statements by government officials showed how endangered the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh had become.
The government has not yet made any statement on the matter, it said, adding that the silence has created more anxiety in the public mind.
鈥楾he meeting felt that the BDR killings, the killing of Bangladeshi citizens at the border, and such attacks were not isolated incidents,鈥� it said.
These are planned conspiracies to undermine the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh, said the party.
The independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh are being endangered today due to the endless failure of the government, the BNP claimed.
The BNP鈥檚 highest policymaking body meeting also said that the landing of two cargo planes from Israel at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka had caused concern and criticism.
鈥楾he issue has been discussed everywhere. Even though there is no agreement between the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh and Israel, the direct landing of the planes from Tel-Aviv to Dhaka airport and the subsequent statements made by the Civil Aviation Authority about it are not acceptable,鈥� it said.
鈥榃hen Israel鈥檚 terrible attack on Gaza, the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians are drawing condemnation all over the world, the landing of the planes from Israel in Dhaka has created a mystery,鈥� it said, adding that the meeting demanded clarification from the government over the matter immediately.
The BNP statement said that its standing committee meeting felt that no situation had arisen to change the party鈥檚 decision regarding the national parliament election and local government election.
鈥楴o election can be fair and free under this illegal government. So there is no opportunity to participate in this upazila election,鈥� it added.
In the meeting, the party decided to celebrate International Labour Day on May 1.
Presided over by party acting chairman Tarique Rahman, BNP standing committee members Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salah Uddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud joined the meeting.
