Dhaka, Sept 1 – BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday urged their party leaders to take a vow to overcome the challenge of ‘restoring’ democracy at any cost adopting a time-befitting political strategy.“World politics is now changing. The situation is not the same as it’s in 1971 and in 1975. We must work out a time-worthy right strategy realising the global political context in 2020 and move forward in a democratic way to establish democratic politics,” he said.
The BNP leader said, “It’s true that there’s no alternative to a movement. But we’ve to find out the ways of making it a success through discussions. Let’s take a vow on the day of our founding anniversary that we’ll face the challenge of restoring democracy and freeing Khaleda Zia at any cost.”
He made the remarks at a virtual discussion arranged by BNP marking its 42nd founding anniversary.
As their party remains out of power for nearly 13 years, Fakhrul urged BNP leaders and activists not to get frustrated. “There’s no scope for us to become disappointed. The entire nation has entrusted BNP with the responsibility for restoring democracy and people’s lost rights. We’ll have to do it.”
The BNP leader said their party must free Khaleda Zia from jail to get back democracy. “For the sake of democracy, she is now under house arrest. She has undoubtedly made immense sacrifices for democracy, people and the country’s independence and sovereignty.”
Referring to Prime Minister’s remarks involving Zia with the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, he said the ruling party is trying to malign their party founder before the new generation by bringing such ‘false’ allegations. “Maligning Ziaur Rahman means undermining the country’s Liberation War, and there’s no scope to take the matter lightly.”
He said the government is trying to divert people’s attention to a different direction from its failures to deliver on all fronts and tackle coronavirus by involving Zia with the August 15.
BNP Standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said Bangladesh is now facing two disasters–coronavirus and ‘Awami corruption’.
He said the ruling party leaders have indulged in serious corruption amid the coronavirus in the name of procuring kits and tackling the situation as there is no democracy and accountability in the country. “It can’t be continued in a country which was liberated based on the spirit of democracy.”
Mosharraf said BNP has to take the major responsibility of bringing back democracy. “The country must be freed from the hands of this government by uniting all the nationalist and democratic forces and uniting people.”
BNP standing committee member Moudud said Awami League has established an authoritarian one-party rule based on lies. “They’re continuously spreading lies against BNP as they don’t find anything to criticise BNP unless they resort to lies.”
He said the Prime Minister and her party leaders are trying to involve Zia with the August-15 only to misguide people and give the new generation a false impression about BNP.
Describing the current Health Ministry as a ‘worthless one, he said it is hiding the information of corona infections and fatalities having failed to tackle the situation.
Moudud said there is no alternative to waging a strong movement uniting people to remove the current ‘despotic’ regime and restore healthy politics in the country.
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, standing committee members Jamiruddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, among others, spoke at the programme. – UNB
