BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the ruling Awami League has adopted a new tactic to label the BNP as a terrorist party.

"If BNP is a terrorist party, what are you all? You are the fathers of terrorism," he said, referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's comments.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made these remarks at a seminar organised at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Friday afternoon in the capital.

The seminar, titled "Agricultural Implements and Food Commodity Inflation: Government's Mismanagement - Farmers and Common People Suffer," was organised by Sonali Dal of Bangladesh Agriculture University, Mymensingh.

Mirza Fakhrul claimed at the seminar that it is the ruling Awami League that has turned the state into a terrorist state, saying, "You all want to remain in power by transforming the entire state machinery into a rule of terrorism."

He stated that the spiraling prices of commodities were suffocating the people almost to death.

The BNP Secretary General pointed out that the high prices of commodities were unprecedented. While prices have risen in many countries, in Bangladesh, the increase is unbelievable and unprecedented. There are many reasons behind this, with the main one being an unaccountable government.

Mirza Fakhrul alleged, "Many projects are being implemented. The main objective of these projects is theft. Things that would cost one crore taka are being done for three crore. That which is worth 10 crore is carried out for 20 crore."

Addressing the officials, Mirza Fakhrul said, "Everyone (government officials) is involved in the projects in one way or another. Being attached to a project means money. The way things stand now, the general people cannot buy eggs, cannot buy dal, cannot buy spinach, but Tk 365 crore is being spent on cars for the UNOs and DCs as bribes during the election. They are being paid separately. It has been heard that the DCs and SPs and those who will conduct the election have already received money."

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that BNP is carrying out its movement in a peaceful and orderly democratic manner. He added, "We have no firearms or weapons to scare you with or to arrest you. We can't take you to the DB (Detective Branch) to torture you. We do not have that power." He emphasised, "The power we have is to organise the people, to tell the people that if they want to be free of this situation, if they want to emerge from this predicament, they must take to the streets. Coming out to the streets is the main thing."

Also addressing the seminar were the party's standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan, vice chairman Abdul Awal, advisors to the chairperson Professor Tajmeri AS Islam, Abdus Salam, and others.

The seminar was chaired by Professor Golam Hafiz, president of Sonali Dal of Bangladesh Agriculture University, Mymensingh. The event was conducted by the organisation's general secretary Abul Kalam Azad.