BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas has claimed that extortion has resurfaced in his area following the withdrawal of special oversight teams, alleging that members of almost all political parties are now involved in the practice.
Speaking at an exchange meeting organised by former students of Motijheel Government Boys’ High School at the Diploma Engineering Institute auditorium in Kakrail on Saturday.
The Dhaka-8 constituency candidate said a culture of extortion, drugs and terrorism has been nurtured in the country over the past 17 years.
Abbas said that following the events of 5 August he formed special teams and launched a hotline to keep the area free from extortion for two months, while keeping two vehicles on standby to assist victims alongside the police.
He said the area remained peaceful during that period but extortion resumed once his responsibility was withdrawn, alleging that police activity became “practically inactive”.
Expressing frustration over the current political climate, Abbas said even those now speaking about reform are involved in extortion, stressing that drugs, extortion and terrorism cannot be tackled by individuals alone and require collective social resistance.
Referring to the 2024 uprising, he said that while he and other BNP activists took part, it was fundamentally different from the 1971 Liberation War, describing the former as a movement against autocracy and the latter as a war for independence.
He said BNP members paid a heavy price during what he termed 17 years of Awami misrule, with many losing family members or suffering permanent injuries while protesting.
Abbas also warned about the condition of the country’s youth and education system, alleging that a particular group and country are attempting to undermine the nation by targeting education and spreading drugs.
He urged young people to focus on sports and reading, describing excessive social media use as a serious disease comparable to drug addiction that is misleading children.
As a former student of Motijheel Government Boys’ High School, Abbas concluded the programme by responding to questions from alumni present at the meeting.
