BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday said that the Awami League governments stance against corruption is nothing but "a national joke".
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the dummy government has stated that the Anti-Corruption Commission, being independent, will follow its own procedures in handling allegations of corruption against individuals, regardless of their level of power," he said.
Dummy government is the BNPs derisive term for the government that came to power through the Jan 7, 2024 election, that featured scores of AL-affiliated independent dummy candidates pitted against AL candidates.
Speaking at a press briefing at BNPs Naya Paltan central office, he questioned how figures notorious for corruption, such as Police Chief Benazir Ahmed, DMP Chief Asaduzzaman Mia, and National Board of Revenue (NBR) official Matiur Rahman, have managed to retain significant positions as close associates of the government. "Can the Prime Minister provide an answer to this?
Rizvi said the people have long been witnessing various incidents of corruption, plundering, and siphoning off money being exposed one after another, with the government remaining inactive.
"But the commission has been asleep like Rip Van Winkle. The dummy Awami government has forgiven those who unilaterally embezzled and looted the peoples money. The stance of the Awami government, tainted with corruption, against corruption, is
othing but a national joke," he asserted. The BNP leader doubted whether the government is exposing the secrets of the brutal police officers and other officials due to internal conflicts over sharing ill-gotten money.
"The so-called independent Anti-Corruption Commission is subservient to Sheikh Hasina as it is spineless. It is the main task of the Awami Anti-Corruption Commission to oppress opposition parties as per the governments directives," he said. —UNB