Opposition Leader and Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman yesterday said that a “dark hand” is set to grip scheduled and commercial banks, “as it did with Bangladesh Bank”.
“Banks don’t belong to any party; they belong to the people,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at the opening session of Jamaat’s district and metropolitan ameer conference at Al-Falah auditorium in the capital’s Moghbazar.
Expressing concern over the banking sector, Shafiqur said although “hundreds of thousands of crores of taka” had been looted from banks and siphoned off abroad in the past, no effective initiatives have been taken to recover the money.
He also alleged that efforts to bring those responsible under law have been stalled.
The Jamaat chief said there was a political interference in the process of changes in the central bank’s leadership, which he described as risky for the country’s financial system. He alleged that even a loan defaulter has been given the scope to reschedule loans and be appointed to a key position.
He urged people to remain vigilant and act as “guardians” to protect their deposits.
The opposition leader said there are inconsistencies in the government’s statements on the energy situation, adding that while the government claims that there is no energy crisis, prolonged load-shedding, and public suffering in buying fuel suggest otherwise.
According to him, the energy shortage is putting industries at risk due to a lack of furnace oil, while rising transport costs are driving up commodity prices.
The Jamaat ameer also alleged that extortion is adding further pressure on people.
Regarding the walkout of the House, the opposition leader said although the Speaker pledged neutrality on the first day of the parliament session, the opposition did not see that in practice. They were compelled to walk out as they were not given the scope to speak on important issues.
He expressed dissatisfaction over the limited time allocated for parliamentary debate.
“No parliamentary debate can take place in two minutes, in which one can only make a comment,” he said, adding that although the time was later slightly increased, it remained insufficient, while treasury bench lawmakers were allowed extended speaking time.
Shafiqur said global situations, caused by US-Israel war on Iran, have impacted Bangladesh, internal weaknesses and policy failures have worsened the crisis. He called on the government to engage in open discussions, both in and outside parliament, to find solutions in the national interest.
He added that necessary steps must be taken to implement the referendum verdict, and reform ordinances should be presented in parliament as bills in line with public expectations.
The Jamaat chief also warned that ignoring public opinion would undermine democratic practices and could lead to a bigger crisis in future.
“The culture in which the party is bigger than the country must change,” he said, calling for collective efforts to address the crisis.
