DHAKA, Sept 26, 2024 (BSS) - Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has demanded the  abolition of Union Parishads (UPs) formed during the ousted autocrat Sheikh Hasina’s regime.
 
The demand was placed following the decision taken in a meeting of the party’s highest policymaking forum National Standing Committee on Monday, said a press release today signed by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
 
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman chaired the meeting at the party chairperson’s Gulshan political office here joining it virtually from London.
 
The release said it will not be possible to hold a free, fair and impartial national election keeping functional the Union Parishads formed farcically during the fascist Sheikh Hasina’s regime. Because, the present Union Parishads was used as the weapon of the autocratic regime in the past and it may be in the future too.
 
In another decision, the BNP standing committee expressed deep concern over the conflicts in the districts of Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHTs).
 
It was said in the meeting that such conflicts are being unleashed as part of the longstanding conspiracy to disestablish the interim government following the ouster of the fascist Sheikh Hasina’s regime which is completely politically motivated, said the release.
 
These incidents are threat to the country’s independence and sovereignty. There is no scope to take the incident lightly, it said.
 
The BNP standing committee underscored the need for urgently calling a national convention with the participation of the country’s key political parties, concerned leaders of CHT districts and the stakeholders.
 
The committee urged the government to take measures to this end.  
 
In another decision, the BNP standing committee strongly condemned the recent comments of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah over “Bangladeshi infiltrators”.
 
The committee also urged the Indian leaders including ministers to refrain from making such comments for keeping good relations among the people of the two neighboring countries.
 
It also expressed satisfaction over Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Ministry’s move to protest the comments and called upon the Indian leadership to refrain from making such remarks.
   
Standing Committee Members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Begum Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Major (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Bir Bikram, and Professor AZM Zahid Hossain were present in the meeting.
 
A total of six decisions were taken in the meeting held on Monday night.
 
It was said in the meeting that the ousted fascist force is carrying out planned attacks and vandalism on mazars, launching mob lynching in various places and creating terrible situation in industrial areas and religious institutions in a bid to regaining power. The fascist force is pushing the country towards anarchy.
 
The standing committee strongly condemned the anti-social activities that can harm the unity and demanded bringing the culprits to book immediately.
 
The committee underscored the need for taking measures for raising awareness among people through mass media under the government initiative to this end.
 
It also called upon all patriotic political parties to play a role to this end to make the people aware.