BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday urged the government to take a safe exit by quitting power before time runs out fast.  

“Hand over power to a neutral caretaker government by dissolving the parliament. Then the caretaker government will form a fresh election commission to conduct a parliamentary election and thus a new system of government will be introduced in the country,” he said.

“Otherwise, Fakhrul warned, the government won’t find a way to escape." This is high time for you to take the escape route before facing the public wrath.”

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader claimed that seven leaders and workers of their party have already sacrificed their lives in the ongoing anti-government movement. “Thousands of people will sacrifice their lives (if necessary), but we’ll definitely restore democracy,” UNB reports.

Shaheed Jihad Smrity Parishad arranged the discussion at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) marking the 32nd death anniversary of Nazir Uddin Jihad who was gunned down in the capital on October 10, 1990, during the anti-Ershad movement.

A group of student leaders of the 90s, led by Amanullah Aman, and Jihad Smriti Parishad also paid homage to the Jihad by placing wreaths at his Memorial plaque at Dainik Bangla crossing in the capital.

Fakhrul said that thousands of leaders and workers of the party are ready to sacrifice their lives to defeat the government on the streets for restoration of democracy and people’s rights.

“I declare in clear terms that we want to establish peace, bring back democracy and the rights of people in the country,” he said.

Fakhrul said they are confident that their ongoing street movement will yield a positive outcome as people have started waking up. “We have confidence in our people. We believe that the people of this country have never accepted injustice and never allowed anyone to win against democracy.”

The BNP leader urged the young generation to come forward with more vigour in the interests of the country and its people instead of just being worried about their own fate. “This movement that we’ve initiated is to liberate Bangladesh. Join this movement by organising the country’s people and we must resolve the political crisis on the streets. We will defeat them on the streets.”

About the ongoing countrywide power outages, he said people are facing load-shedding at least three-four times a day and for up to 6 hours in many areas in the country. “This government celebrated self-sufficiency in electricity earlier by beating the drums and displaying fireworks. But we’re now facing load shedding only because of the government’s theft and corruption.”

The BNP leader said a huge sum of public money has been plundered in the name of the quick rental power plants. “Around Tk 28,000 crores have been paid in a year as capacity charges,” he said.

He said the garment-run factories in the country are facing various problems as the demand for their products is decreasing in the world. “On the one hand, the prices of fuel, gas and dollar have increased. So, it has become difficult for the garment traders to survive.”

Fakhrul further said the common people and labourers are going through serious miseries due to the growing price hikes of daily essentials.  “We want to get rid of such a situation in the country. We’re going to people to mobilise them (for waging a movement.”

He recalled the contributions of Jihad and other martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the 90s and the current movement for the restoration of democracy. “Let us move forward and defeat this monstrous regime and establish a people's government,” he said.