Dhaka, Aug 2 – The BNP on Thursday demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led government for its total failure in every respect especially in controlling road accidents and resolving crises in the transport sector. The party, the arch rival of the ruling Awami League, also lent its full support to the ongoing students’ agitation for safety road.
“This government has totally failed and collapsed…We are holding the government for the incidents over quota issue and road accidents and demanding their resignation. We are lending our full support to the ongoing students’ movement,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a press conference at party central office.
The BNP leader made the demand five days after the tragic road accident at airport road that led to a countrywide students’ movement for road safety.
On Sunday, two students were crushed to death and 13 more injured when a speedy bus ran over them at Airport Road in Kurmitola area.
The BNP leader said they are not only demanding the resignation of shipping minister Shajahan Khan or the road, transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader. “We are demanding the resignation of the total government as they have failed in every aspect.”
Terming the students’ movements on quota issue and safety roads fancy one, he said they forced the government to bow to them through waging vigorous movement.
He accused the government of creating anarchy and making peoples’ life miserable and said the people are suffering from a sense of insecurity.
Mirza Alamgir regretted that the students are carrying government for three days and people are suffering a lot but there is no measure to resolve the problem.
“The government is talking sweet but not doing anything required to resolve the problem. The incidents in Narayanganj and Shanirakhra did not occur if the government would have taken measures on the first day,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the BNP leader demanded the resignation of the shipping minister holding him responsible for the anarchy in the transport sector and called upon the government to sit with the agitating students on dialogue to resolve the problems.
BNP leaders—Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amanullah Aman, Rizvi Ahmed, among others, were present at the press conference.
Meanwhile, speaking at a discussion meeting at Jatiya Press Club, BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas, once who was an influential leader of bus owners association, also held workers’ leaders like Shajahan Khan responsible for mismanagement in the transport sector.
An anarchic situation is prevailing in the transport sector but it seems that there is none to look after it. Drivers, police, law enforcers are doing whatever they want and there is no solution to it. Most of the tempo drivers are below 15 years,” he claimed.
He regretted that the people like Shajahan Khans introduced such a system that drivers are changed soon after once bus arrives at the terminal and there is no way as to who drives the bus.
He suggested the government to introduce new provisions in its proposed law to cancel the license of the bus dented in its two sides, maintaining categories for bus and truck drivers, imparting proper training and providing appointment through owners.
Zia Nagorik Forum organized the meeting at Jatiya Press Club with its president Miah Mohammed Anwar in the chair. – Staff Reporter
