The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday alleged that the Awami League government had made Bangladesh ‘dependent’ on foreign countries by destroying its economy.

‘Look at how they (govt) are selling the country for their own interests and staying in power. They have made it dependent on others. Everything is getting exposed from their statements,’ said the party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader also said that the government had completely destroyed the economy for the sake of foreigners. ‘They have turned a self-reliant nation into a dependent one.’

He slammed the ruling party leaders for bragging about the expansion of the national budget from a smaller one during the BNP’s tenure.

‘BNP did not impose the burden of taxes and loans on people as it loves  the country. A huge burden of debt has now been imposed on the people. Each individual may find themselves burdened with a loan of 1.55 lakh taka. Can you imagine how heavy the per capita loan is?’ the BNP leader said.

About the proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, he said that there were no directions in the budget to address the problems being faced by people.

There is no measure in the budget to reduce inflation and taxes have been imposed on all imported goods and machinery that could have increased production. ‘Then how will employment be generated?’ Fakhrul questioned .

University Teachers Association of Bangladesh arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the 43rd death anniversary of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.

Fakhrul said that theft, corruption and terrorism were there in the Awami League’s body chemistry. ‘Now you see how theft and corruption are happening. There was so much theft at that time their leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.’

He lamented that the current government had turned Bangladesh into hell by ruining all the state institutions. ‘They have destroyed all the beauty. They have destroyed the harmony and brotherhood among people.’

The BNP leader also said that the education system had collapsed as a direct result of politicization and the biased appointment of teachers based on their allegiance to the ruling party.

Fakhrul said that the country was not getting quality leaders to take the country forward since the government had deliberately made arrangements so that leadership was not created everywhere. ‘How will leadership emerge where there is no election to student unions, DUCSU, or any other bodies?’