Travel misery robs holidaymakers of joy of Eid: BNP

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday alleged the holidaymakers' joy of Eid was marred by travel misery for lack of government monitoring.

"There's no authority to look after the transportation system, especially the train service. We see how accidents are happening on roads. Passengers have suffered long delays due to a collapse in train schedules," he said.

The BNP leader also said in fact the government has no authority anywhere, causing public suffering. "People have no joy of Eid amid misery."

He also said the government has failed to ensure good governance. "Their only goal is to indulge in corruption.  They're turning the country into a failed state."

Fakhrul made the comments while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's grave. 

The BNP secretary general along with party standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan and other party leaders paid homage to Zia by placing wreaths at his grave on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.

They also offered fateha there and took part in a special prayer seeking the salvation of the departed soul of the BNP founder. 

About power outages, Fakhrul said the government use to brag that they had surplus power production capacity. "They have to now conduct load-shedding for three-four hours every day. The main reason behind it is corruption."

He said quick-rental power plants have been set up by spending excessive money. "No international tender has been called for the establishment of these plants and a law has been enacted so that no question can be raised in this regard. No case can be filed over any allegation. It means an indemnity has been granted."

The BNP leader also said the government had no plan to run the power plants by exploring gas in the country. 

He said the government did not take any step for gas exploration only to import LNG and thus ensure the benefit of one or two companies. 

"They're doing all these things because of corruption. They make every plan to loot Bangladesh. In fact, this is a government of plunderers and Awami League has become a party of plundering," Fakhrul said.

He alleged that the government has created a myth of development to make their pockets heavier through corruption, and to misled people.

"There has been no real development in the country as the poverty rate has increased. Around 42% people of the country are living below the poverty line," he observed.