Govt's corruption led to commodity price hike in Bangladesh: Rizvi

The government's corruption is the reason for the hike in the prices of commodities in the country, said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

"Commodity prices in other countries have not increased because of the Ukraine war or any other conflict. Prices have increased in our country because of the looting and corruption of this authoritarian regime," he said during a press conference at the party's central office in Nayapaltan on Sunday (14 January).

The BNP leader also said the ruling Awami League (AL) has committed "election crime."

He said ruling party men have looted all the banks.

"Due to the syndicate of ministers and party traders, the prices of all products are now skyrocketing. AL people are smuggling money out of the country," he added.

Rizvi said, "People are forced to sell their children because of hunger. But just because the people in power are living in bliss doesn't stop them from making fun of the hungry people. The economy is suffering repeated shocks due to government corruption and money laundering."

In response to AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader's remarks of the BNP having started a new conspiracy after the election, Rizvi said, "It is not BNP, but AL that is relying on foreigners to stay in power. By forming a dummy government through dummy elections, they are now in fear of losing power."

"On 7 January, voters did not join the one-sided fake election. Thousands of images of fake votes and irregularities have gone viral through media and social media," the BNP leader added.

He said that the defeated candidates with AL affiliation have also termed this election as a farce and joke election.

"This questionable election has not been accepted anywhere in the country and abroad," he said.

Rizvi further said, "The government will fall through the people's movement and elections have to be held under a caretaker government. A caretaker government has no choice but to hold free and fair elections. The main goal of our ongoing movement is to establish a true and dynamic democracy."

BNP organising secretary Advocate Abdus Salam Azad, youth affairs co-secretary Mir Newaz Ali Newaz, executive committee members Z Mortuza Chowdhury Tula, Aminul Islam and Tariqul Alam Tenzing and others were present at the press conference.