BNP accuses government of ‘double-dealing’ in abolishing quota system

The BNP has expressed its doubt over the implementation of a decision to abolish quotas for top government jobs.

“The young men and women who were protesting the quota system have never demanded complete abolishment, but the government scrapped it altogether,” BNP Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said at a media briefing in Dhaka on Thursday.

On the other hand, the government has sent the descendants of freedom fighters and the ethnic community out on the streets to demand the restoration of the system, he said.

“This is nothing but double-dealing.”

“Their ultimate goal is to prevent the movement against the quota system,” Rizvi said.

“The prime minister herself asked the children and grandchildren of the freedom fighters to take to the streets. The government deployed them on the streets with an open declaration.”

Rizvi raised questions on the prime minister’s remarks defending the Digital Security Act.

“Why is the prime minister so interested in the Digital Security Act? Why is she empowering the police to raid media offices, seize documents and arrest people? It is unprecedented in any democratic country.”

“There is a law to deal with the people who publish wrong information. The prime minister mentioned a case in which BBC executives resigned for publishing wrong information.”

“There are laws that lead people to apologise and resign. But that is not the case in a country where Sheikh Hasina rules. Here, anyone will be in trouble for speaking the truth,” Rizvi said.

“The voters have lost their right to vote, but the journalists have no right to disseminate that information,” said Rizvi adding the Digital Security Act has been designed to strip the media of that right.

“This law has been designed to stop the corruption of the Awami League government from coming to light.”

“Do you think the media reports on Hall-Mark or loan embezzlements were fake? No, they were not. But the prime minister was shocked by the news that appeared in the media.

Rizvi described the new law as the final nail in the coffin. “This will silence the people’s voice and protect the most powerful but extremely corrupt persons inside her government.”