Main opposition BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that there will be no elections in the country without a caretaker government.

Addressing the party’s divisional mass rally in Rangpur city, the BNP leader also said that all the members of parliament of the party are ready to resign any time.

“Our MPs are ready to resign anytime. They are waiting for the party’s decision. There will be no election under [prime minister] Sheikh Hasina any more,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at a mammoth public meeting at Rangpur Collectorate Eidgah ground on Saturday (October 29, 2022) afternoon.

Fakhrul said that the government would have to resign, dissolve parliament and hold elections by forming a new Election Commission through a non-partisan and neutral caretaker government.

Claiming that Awami League had swallowed all the resources of the country in the last 15 years, Fakhrul said there had been looting in every sector.

The BNP Secretary General said Sheikh Hasina and her government will have to shoulder the responsibility if any famine occurs in Bangladesh again.

“In 1974, Bangladesh had to face a famine during the reign of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Finding no food, people suffer malnutrition and died of starvation subsequently,” he said.

“The same bleak situation has come back again. Awami League had promised to make rice available at Tk 10 a kg, but now people are being forced to buy rice at Tk 90 per kg. Sugar price has also increased in market. People are facing great difficulties even to buy vegetables. It’s a sign of famine,” he said.

Mirza Fakhrul also said all the members of parliament (MPs) belonging to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are will resign soon.

The party may issue such a directive at any moment, he said.

While talking to journalists earlier on October 11 last, the Mirza Fakhrul said the BNP is going to finalise the outline of its anti-government movement soon. Once the outline is finalised, all the MPs of BNP in Jatiya Sangsad will resign.

The party sources said the BNP is going to take some important decisions before its grand rally in Dhaka on December 10. One of the decisions is resignation of the BNP MPs from parliament.

At present, there are seven BNP MPs in Jatiya Sangsad. They are also interested to resign. Several MPs have already conveyed their willingness to resign from the Jatiya Sangsad to the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

Fakhrul congratulated the leaders and activists of BNP as they attended the rally from the previous night despite the transport owners’ strike in Rangpur and said, “People of Bangladesh will make Bangladesh free again.”

BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury addressed the rally as the main speaker. It was also addressed by Begum Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku as special guests.

Rangpur City BNP Convener Shamsuzzaman Shamu presided over the grand rally.

Among others, BNP vice-chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, joint secretary general Harun ur Rashid, Rangpur divisional organising secretary Asadul Habib Dulu, assistant organising secretary Abdul Khaleque, Swecchasebak Dal president SM Jilani, Krishak Dal secretary general Shahidul Islam Babul, Chhatra Dal president Kazi Rounuqul Islam amd general secretary Saif Mohammad Jewel and other leaders were present.