A high delegation led by BGMEA President Rafiqul Islam met BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

On Tuesday (September 10) afternoon, the business leaders met the party's Secretary General at the BNP Chairperson's office in Gulshan in the capital.

During the meeting, the BGMEA president thanked the BNP leaders and said that some groups are trying to create some kind of instability in the garment industry during the Interim government. At this time, the local BNP leaders and party leaders and workers at all levels immediately supported us on the instructions of Mr. Tariq Rahman, the Acting Chairman of BNP. Somewhere activists have guarded our business establishments.

During the meeting, Mirza Fakhrul Islam spoke to the Home Secretary over the phone about various problems of the BGMEA leaders. Later, Mirza Fakhrul told the leaders that in this critical time of the country, everyone should come together to solve the problem. Work must be done to restore economic, political and democratic rights.

During the meeting with BGMEA leaders, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was accompanied by former Commerce Minister BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and former Commerce Advisor and BNP Vice Chairman Barkatullah Bulu.

BGMEA President along with Senior Vice President Abdullah hil Rakib, Vice President Rakibul Alam, Director Shobhan Islam, Nurul Islam, Absar Hossain, Past President SM Fazlul Haque, Kazi Munir, Mostafa Golam Quddus, BGMEA Standing Committee Chairman Kofiluddin and Abul Kalam were present.

The permanent office of Dhaka District Awami League is located in Tejgaon of the capital. The party's president and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated this modern architecture building a year ago. After a year of inauguration, this office has now turned into a pile of rubble.

Since the inauguration, the office was busy 24 hours a day with the presence of activists. However, when the Awami League government collapsed in the face of the student movement on August 5, this building fell into public anger. The excited mob vandalized the office and set it on fire.

On Tuesday (September 10) the current state of the office on the ground shows such a picture. Even though the two gates were blocked from the outside, it was clear from the outside that the building was in frenzy by the excited crowd. The structure of the building has become skeletal due to vandalism and flames.

On this day, it can be seen that the main gate of the office is intact, but the gate which was designated for the entry of the workers does not exist. As a result, the gate is blocked with coke sheets and bamboo. This once busy office is now deserted.

The road in front of the office was always kept empty to keep the movement of party ministers-MPs and important leaders unhindered. The house was covered by security blankets by members of the security forces including the police. But these are past now.

The road is now occupied by truck owners. Various shops are being built occupying the footpath. There is no place left to enter the office. In such a sudden fall of Awami League, people are putting all their energies into the past for their own needs.

Several shops have been built around the main gate of the office. Talked to Tofail Ahmed, a private worker in one such newly built tea shop. He told Barta24.com, 'This road was always occupied by activists. It was difficult to stand under the pressure of the law and order forces. Now a tea shop has been built here, I am sitting there having tea.'

When asked if anyone is saying anything to the shop that is offering, so many trucks are parked in front, a shopkeeper who does not wish to be named told Barta24.com, 'Activists do not come here like before. The police don't even come here. The road is empty so the truck brings it and leaves it here. I also gave the shop. No problem yet.'

Before this, on August 6, it was seen that all the important furniture including chairs and tables were vandalized. If you set it on fire later, everything gets burnt. Some people are digging out iron and other metals from the burnt ruins.

Built on a steel structure, this modern architectural building stands as a skeleton in the blaze. The stage of the second floor seminar hall was also burnt. Only the elevator was not spared from the flames. Street boys were breaking these burnt things and breaking the metal parts including iron.

Earlier, on August 5, the former head of government and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country in the face of the anti-discrimination student movement. After the news of her departure from the country, these establishments faced the anger of the agitators.

On this day, after noon, the agitators attacked, vandalized and set fire to the house of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at 32 Dhanmondi, the central office of Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue and the political office of the President of the party at 3 Dhanmondi and Tejgaon Dhaka district office.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader said that if Awami League had not collapsed, Jatiya Party(JP) would have dissolved. We have never been friends of Awami League, we have always been friends of the people.

He said this while speaking as the chief guest at a view exchange meeting with Jatiya Mahila Party leaders at JP's Banani office on Tuesday (September 10).

GM Quader said, BNP has ideological similarity with Jatiya Party but no similarity in character. The Jatiya Party has always been blackmailed. Since 1990, the Jatiya Party has been a victim of torture and conspiracies. That conspiracy is still going on.

Many people say that we have made the Awami League a monster. Awami League would not be a monster without our support? If we support the BNP, would it not be a monster? Awami League got the opportunity and became a monster. We have not supported demonizing any party. If a party has become a monster, they have become monsters through their own fault. Can you say that a party will not be a monster if given a chance?

He said that the Jatiya Party was forced into the election by Awami League. The Jatiya Party has been seriously affected by this. I never do politics for the Ministry. The Jatiya Party boycotted the 2014 elections. Out of 300 seats, 270 candidates including me were withdrawn. When we decided not to go to the polls in 2014, the government made another group and arranged for them to be polled with ‘plough’ symbol. I didn't believe that's why we boycotted 270 candidates in the 2014 elections. We wanted to boycott the 2024 elections. We were forced to go to elections, everyone knows that. December 17 was the last day to withdraw the candidature, we wanted to hold a press conference and boycott the election. But people from various forces and organizations surrounded our office. We were not allowed to boycott the election by holding a press conference.

Now those who are talking big, how many people were able to speak during the Awami League period? If Awami League had asked you to speak the opposite of Awami League the next day, would you have said no? He commented that if the Awami League kidnapped you would have said Joy Bangla.

He said, democracy is the rule of the people. Democracy means accepting people's decisions. If you are a democrat, you can never call Ershad a dictator. Hussain Muhammad Ershad was a popular leader. He was not defeated in any election. In every election, the people elected Hussain Muhammad Ershad and said Ershad was never a dictator. Jatiya Party could not stay in the field in 91 elections; still Ershad won 5 seats from jail. Jatiya Party won 36 seats in that election.

The JP chairman asked the question, has the Awami League fallen due to the election? The Awami League has fallen because of their corruption and misrule. By creating discrimination, Awami League disturbed people by exploiting, humiliating and depriving them. The Awami League has fallen because of Sheikh Hasina's government. People went from being bored to a state that they would not return even if they gave their lives. I have repeatedly said in Parliament that the people of the country can make any sacrifice against discrimination. The people of this country gave their lives against discrimination even during the Mughal, British and Pakistani eras. The war of liberation and independence was fought against discrimination.

He said, we were not with Awami League or BNP in 2001. We chose separately. BNP formed the government with a huge majority in that election. Then they formed RAB and carried out extrajudicial killings, fictionalization and created a caretaker government with party people. This resulted in one-eleven. In the 2008 elections, Awami League got a huge majority without us. Seeing the expectations of the people, we supported the Awami League. But Awami League came to power and increased corruption tenfold. Both the parties upset the people of the country. Even without coming to power, a number of leaders and workers have adopted the character of Awami League.

Presidium member Najma Akhter presided over the discussion meeting. As a special guest secretary general of JP Freedom Fighter Advocate Mujibul Haque Chunnu, the presidium member Mir Abdus Sabur Asud, Advocate Md. Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan, Monirul Islam Milan, Presidium member Masroor Mawla and others were present.

Acting chairman of the party Tariq Rahman said that the movement of BNP will continue until the people's government is established through voting.

He made this comment in the Chief Guest's speech by joining virtually in the large gathering organized by Kalaroa Upazila and Pourashava BNP at the Kalaroa High School football ground in Satkhira on Sunday (September 8) afternoon.

At the same time, he also said that the dictatorship has fled. But the political rights of the people have not yet been achieved. That's why our movement is not over yet. The movement will continue till the people's government is established.

Regarding the Awami League government, he said that some political parties have stepped into the trap of neighboring countries. By stepping into their trap, some political parties got confused and said something. That's why we have to be vigilant. Apart from that, those who are waving the stick from outside as people of the country do not want democracy to return to the country.

At the time, he mentioned Satkhira's Amtali Shrimp Fish and the Sundarbans and also informed about the initiative to create employment for the unemployed youth through the production and conservation of these products.

Central Information Secretary Azizul Bari Helal, Rangpur Divisional Co-Organizing Secretary Abdul Khaleq, Khulna Divisional Co-organizing Secretary Jayanta Kumar Kundu, BNP Chairperson Press Wing Officer Shamsuddin Didar, National Executive Committee Member Dr. Shahidul Alam, former MP Kazi Alauddin, Adv. Shahanara Akhter Bakul, Satkhira district BNP joint convener Tariqul Hasan, Ainul Islam Nanta and others spoke in the gathering.