BNP senior joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday criticised the government for its move to shut down stores and shopping malls after 8 pm since it has long been claiming to have the capacity of providing an uninterrupted electricity supply.

“Why are you ordering to close shops and malls after 8 pm? Where did your uninterrupted power go?” said Rizvi at a token sit-in programme held in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Monday.

Ganatantra Forum arranged the programme demanding the release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and adequate relief for the flood-affected people.

Rizvi said the government takes every move and makes laws and rules only to ensure the benefit of the ruling party leaders and create scope for them to make money.

He alleged that the flood-affected people in the country’s northeast region, mainly hoar areas, are crying for relief amid the government’s inaction to mitigate their miseries.

Rizvi also blamed the government’s unplanned construction of dams and a road in the haor region for the severe flood in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrokona.

“The hoar people of Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrokona are crying for rice and food. Where will they get food as everything around them has been submerged? How will the food reach them? ” the BNP leader asked.

He bemoaned that government has allocated only Tk1.5 for each of the 50 lakh flood-hit people of the country while Indian artist Mimi Chakraborty was brought to Bangladesh at the cost Tk three crore.

Stating the government is responsible for the flood, Rizvi said, “You (PM) will now see the Padma Bridge in the colourful light and hang onto power with joy in your heart keeping people hungry, starving and inundated. The country’s people will no longer accept and tolerate it.”

Rizvi questioned whether the prime minister tried to know standing in front of a mirror the reason behind the untimely flood in the haor region. “We know that relatives of one of the influential officials of the state built dams and a road, known as the President’s one, in an unplanned way in the haor areas.”

For this unplanned construction of the dams and roads, he said 50-60 lakh people have now been stranded in floodwaters.

"The whole of Sylhet and Sunamganj have gone under water, but you (Prime Minister) are overwhelmed with the joy over the Padma Bridge. You are joking with people about Padma Bridge,” he observed.