Barguna Sadar Correspondent

Chief Whip of Parliament and four-time lawmaker for Barguna-2 Alhaj Nurul Islam Moni arrived in Barguna via a military helicopter after attending the funeral of BNP Commerce Secretary and former MP Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday. 

Upon his arrival, Barguna Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Miz Taslima Akter and Superintendent of Police Kudrat-e-Khuda welcomed the Chief Whip with floral bouquets and engaged in a courtesy exchange.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (General and Education) Animesh Biswas, PP Nurul Amin, Barguna Press Club President Hafizur Rahman, District BNP Member Secretary Humayun Shahin, Organizing Secretary Fazlul Haque, 10 No. Naltona Union Parishad Chairman Shafiquzzaman Mahfuz, and Barguna Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shah Aziz, alongside other district BNP leaders, were also present.

A military helicopter was arranged under the initiative of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to ensure the timely execution of the Chief Whip's pre-scheduled seven-day official visit to Barguna, which commenced on Wednesday, October 14. The Chief Whip expressed his gratitude and thanks to the Prime Minister for this arrangement.

Upon reaching Barguna, the Chief Whip held a view-exchange meeting with journalists at the Circuit House, where he addressed the country's power situation, the previous administration's activities, economic challenges, and the overall national context.

Regarding the electricity situation, the Chief Whip stated that if power generation issues could be resolved through long-marches, the BNP would have been the first to organize one. He claimed that the ousted Awami League government left the power and economic sectors in a severe crisis. Pointing out that electricity shortages cannot be hidden, he emphasized that neither the current administration nor party Chairman Tarique Rahman would deliberately cause public suffering or court political damage by withholding power supply. He attributed the current situation to the mismanagement and crises left behind by the previous regime.

Accusing the past government of widespread irregularities and corruption in the power sector, Nurul Islam Moni claimed that Summit Group Chairman and Sheikh Hasina's relative Aziz Khan laundered money abroad to secure a spot among Singapore's top billionaires. He alleged that hundreds of crores of taka were looted monthly through the establishment of nominal power plants and the procurement of substandard machinery.

The Chief Whip also questioned the capital dredging of the Payra Port channel, claiming that despite an expenditure of approximately Tk 6,000 crore, the channel's depth remained at five meters both before and after the dredging. He added that the country's economy and democratic framework were severely damaged over the past 16 to 17 years, noting that the current government and the BNP are working to rebuild the nation.

The Chief Whip is scheduled to participate in various official programs throughout his seven-day tour of Barguna.