AL's stance against graft 'a national joke': Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday (3 July) said that the Awami League government's 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 BNP's derisive term for the government that came to power through the 7 January election, that featured scores of AL-affiliated independent 'dummy' candidates pitted against AL candidates.

Speaking at a press briefing at BNP's Nayapaltan 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 people's money. The stance of the Awami government, tainted with corruption, against corruption, is 'nothing 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 government's directives," he said.

Rizvi alleged that the ACC has kept under wraps the irregularities and widespread corruption of the government over the past 15-16 years. "So, the country's people do not believe that the ACC would properly investigate allegations of corruption involving police officers and government officials close to the Prime Minister."

He alleged that corrupt individuals and former government high officials were allowed to accumulate enormous wealth with the Prime Minister's blessing as a reward for brutally suppressing the people's democratic movement.

"They bought luxurious houses, numerous flats, and hundreds of acres of land as achievements of their role in suppressing the movement," the BNP leader observed.