Govt behind fire incidents in markets: BNP

Staff Reporter  :
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday accused the government of carrying out the fire incidents in different markets to mislead the people.
“The government has started to play with fire. You (govt) have failed to ensure safety to public life and property as you don’t monitor anything. There is inferno everywhere every day. You are behind these incidents,” the BNP leader said while addressing at a demonstration programme in front of the National Press Club to protest against the ‘unusual’ increase in the price of fertilisers.
Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal arranged the programme.
Mirza Fakhrul said, the government is trying to divert people’s attention from the people’s demand for lowering the prices of daily essentials, fertiliser, and the demand for credible election and the restoration of voting rights.
“That’s why you (govt) are carrying out the fire incidents in different markets in this time,” he said.
After the fire incident in New Super Market, the government is trying to involve BNP in the fire to shift the blame onto the opposition party, Mirza Fakhrul added.
He said the affected traders of the New Super Market themselves told the media that some people wearing the uniform of Dhaka South City Corporation were demolishing the foot-over bridge in front of the market of around 5:30am.
“The traders said they saw for themselves that the fire broke out from the electricity line being used by the City Corporation employees during the demolition work of the bridge,” Mirza Fakhrul said.
“The employees of the city corporation fled the scene after being failed to control the fire that spread to the market. It is the words of traders of the market. The person in charge of the City Corporation now belongs to the Awami League. So the Awami League and this government are completely responsible for the incident,” Mirza Fakhrul said. The BNP leader said quoting experts that the incidents of fire are growing due to environmental hazards and wrong policies.
“The ruling party ‘cadres’ set up illegal shops in markets by taking extortion money, making the markets unsuitable for people to move,” he said. The BNP leader questioned who permitted to set up hundreds of shops on the second floor of the New Market where there is no fire extinguishing system.
“The shops were set up by bribing the Awai League leaders there,” he said.