Mirza Abbas alleges purge of pro-BNP officials from administration

BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Monday alleged that a planned effort is underway to eliminate their party, saying pro-BNP officials are being replaced by those loyal to the Awami League or Jamaat-e-Islami in the administration and other key government offices.

The BNP leader said those who served in the administration during the BNP’s tenure and have not yet retired are now being sidelined and disregarded.

Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, said this orchestrated sidelining of pro-BNP officials has begun, aimed at eliminating the BNP’s influence. “BNP-aligned officers are being excluded, while pro-Awami League or at least Jamaat-e-Islami loyalists are being given positions… This trend has now spread to police stations, courts, and all levels of the Secretariat. This BNP-cleansing move has begun.”

Mirza Abbas made these remarks on Monday (May 12) at a memorial meeting held at the Jatiya Press Club in honour of former BNP MP Nasir Uddin Pintu. Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu Smriti Sangsad organised the programme.

He said, "BNP stands on the foundation of the sacrifices made by leaders and activists like Nasir Uddin. The way he is being remembered today is part of our history of struggle."

“If the BNP can be eliminated, Bangladesh’s resources can be plundered like the Awami League did… The BNP is the only political party now standing against foreign influence and striving to protect the country from external masters. If there were any other patriotic party, they would have raised their voices by now,” he said.

As part of the consequences of such a plot against the BNP, he said former President Abdul Hamid, being an accused in a murder case, was allowed to leave the country through the airport.

Abbas alleged that for the past few days, the nation has been witnessing what looks like a circus, a drama of sorts unfolding in Bangladesh.

Regarding the ongoing protest in Shahbagh demanding a ban on the Awami League, he said, "This movement is a staged drama. In the past, Sheikh Hasina used similar tactics to distract public attention before carrying out misdeeds. Now, this drama is being used to politically undermine the unpopular BNP."

He further stated, "Those who accuse BNP of rehabilitating the Awami League are in fact enemies of the country and its people. BNP has never sheltered or supported the Awami League. Those who make such claims are simply jealous of BNP's achievements."

Mirza Abbas also questioned how former President Abdul Hamid was allowed to leave the country with “VIP treatment.” He said, "How did this happen? Does the government not know?"

He accused the government of removing BNP supporters from the administration and replacing them with individuals aligned with the Awami League and Jamaat. He added, "Some of these advisors are not even citizens of the country, yet they are the ones running it. It feels like we are under colonial rule again."

Regarding the issue of the "humanitarian corridor," Mirza Abbas said, "There is no such term in any dictionary in the world. These are made-up names. Why isn’t NCP speaking about places like Saint Martin's or Sajek? The government has no right to give any corridor without a public mandate."

He also said, "The entry of suspicious foreigners into the country has increased. Under the guise of various missions, the government is deliberately committing wrongdoing. There are also questions about whose agenda they are serving."

Mirza Abbas claimed, "Their aim is to eliminate BNP so they can freely plunder the country. That is their real objective. Yet no one but BNP is speaking out about the corridor issue—not Jamaat, not Char Monai, no one."

The meeting was presided over by Said Hasan Mintu, convener of the Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu Memorial Association. Other attendees included BNP central leader Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu, Maulana Shah Md. Nesarul Haque from the BNP’s Olama Dal, and many others.