The 27-point proposals outlined by the BNP are nothing but false promises, farcical and political stunts to cheat people.
Besides, these proposals also include the evil attempt of reestablishing the anti-liberation forces and the killers of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the politics.
The opposition party on Monday outlined 27 points that contain proposals to bring balance in the executive power of the president, prime minister and the cabinet, providing, reducing corruption and allowance to unemployed people of the country.
Experts say that in the name of restructuring the state, the BP, which was formed through martial law after a coup, wants to destroy the democratic system of the country.
The BNP, in the name of forming a government in combination with people from all ideologies and opinions, also wants to further empower and establish the defeated forces of the War of Liberation in 1971 like in the past.
While expressing views about the 27-point proposal, Bangladesh Workers’ Party president Rashed Khan Menon said “In the name of reforming the state in the post-1975 period, Ziaur Rahman slashed secularism from the constitution and took steps for rehabilitation of religion-based parties. It will be dangerous if something like that is done again.”
Menon further said now BNP is talking about bringing balance in the powers of the President and the Prime Minister, but the party was most active to increase the executive power of the Prime Minister when he, as a member of a special committee on the 12th amendment to the Constitution, proposed the same thing. They even did not accept the proposal, he added.
Menon thinks most of the proposals of BNP’s outline are “words only”. He also thinks it’s not about reforming the state, rather the BNP is thinking about changing the non-communal character of Bangladesh by including the religion-based parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, in the name of creating a “rainbow nation”.
Writer and researcher Mohiuddin Ahmad thinks there is nothing new in the proposals of BNP. He said, “The most important thing is if there is no democratic practice within the party, it is not possible to implement those through composing laws. What did the BNP do when they were in power?”
He further said, “Actually, no matter what good things are said, nothing substantial can be achieved if the political parties continue as they are now. There were talks about reform during the caretaker government (in 2007-2008) too, but BNP considered itself the victim of that then.
“Actually thoughts become different when a party is in power than from the time when it’s out of power. So, there is nothing to be elated about this. Still I would hope, though it’s late, the BNP has these realisations,” Mohiuddin Ahmad added.
Ruling Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, also the minister for Road, Transport and Bridge, termed the BNP's 27-point state reform proposal nothing but a "stunt" to mislead people of the country.
He said through these points it is not possible to mobilise public opinion, and people will not be misled.
The AL general secretary referred to the BNP's proposal for state reform as "laughable".
He also said Bangladesh is a wonder to the rest of the world. "Compared to the country's situation 14 years ago, Bangladesh's development scenario has changed significantly," he added.
He said, "The country they (BNP leaders) nearly destroyed has been repaired by Sheikh Hasina's skillful leadership by building Digital Bangladesh. We are now moving forward with the goal of creating Smart Bangladesh in 2040."
Obaidul Quader said to think that those, who pushed the country to the edge of destruction and whose hands are stained with blood will repair the country, is nothing but ridiculous.
Claiming that the BNP killed 21,000 AL men, Obaidul Quader said the hands of the BNP leaders are stained with blood. "So, how would they, who carried out destruction, repair the state? It is nothing new. It is one of their stunts...people will not get misled," he added.
The BNP destroyed democracy, stole votes, rigged elections and formed an Aziz-mark Election Commission (EC), he said, adding all know that the then EC held an farcical election through Yes-No vote, he said.
The BNP destroyed the values of the Liberation War and stamped the ideology of independence too, he said, adding that the party rewarded the killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Replying to a question, the road transport and bridges minister said the BNP is the master of falsehood and finding the words of truth in their mouths is a surprising one because they always tell lies and want to make a lie the truth.
But, he said, the country's people do not believe their falsehood.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said it evokes laughter when BNP leaders, who destroyed the state and democracy, captured power on gunpoint after killing Bangabandhu and formed the party by distributing leftovers of power, talk about reforming the state.
"People laugh when BNP talks about corruption as it made the country champions in corruption for five consecutive times. Even the acting chairman of BNP is a convicted accused of corruption," he said.
It is ridiculous when the party leaders talk about reforming the state, he said.
He said BNP is staging a movement through giving 27 demands where most demands are traditional. There exists no confidence in politics and politicians when anyone talks about the caretaker government in the country, he added.
"We want to establish tolerance and harmony in politics. But they (BNP) don't want it. For this, they want to bring something which is undemocratic. It is never appropriate," said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.