Govt letting big powers make country their battleground: Mirza Fakhrul

Bangladesh is being used as a battleground of the big powers for establishing their supremacy because of the government's imprudent diplomacy, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said.

"They [AL government] are pushing Bangladesh towards a dire situation by speaking irresponsibly," he said while addressing a meeting prior to a rally celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal on Friday.

Fakhrul also voiced concern over Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's comment that the US and its allies are trying to promote their interests in South Asia by using the Indo-Pacific strategy with their goal of countering China and isolating Russia.

"What the Russian foreign minister said after arriving here has clearly manifested that Bangladesh is going to be used as a field in the sphere of influence of the big powers in their struggle for hegemony. It's very alarming," UNB quoted the senior BNP leader as saying.

Fakhrul also said the BNP does not want conflict but only wants a fair election. "I want to make it clear that we do not want conflict. We don't want any chaos. We want a fair election in the country."

Fakhrul said Khaleda Zia is "fighting for the restoration of democracy even when she is ill and under house arrest".

"The Awami League government is not an elected government; they have destroyed the country's democracy. They have pushed the country toward a dire situation to stay in power.

"We want everyone to be able to vote in the election. But the two elections held under this government were not fair. So, we want elections under a non-partisan and neutral caretaker government. Voting rights should be restored by forming a new election commission," Fakhrul said further.

Mirza Fakhrul expressed the hope that the government will be ousted and a people's government will be established in the country.

Mahila Dal's standing committee member Selima Rahman also spoke at the event, presided over by Mahila Dal President Afroza Abbas and convened by General Secretary Sultana Ahmed.