BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that the only way to restore democracy in the country is through a free, fair, and impartial election. “An opportunity has arisen to return to a democratic system, and the only way to do so is by establishing a government elected through fair elections,” he said.
He made the remarks on Friday (October 10) at a discussion meeting held at the Institution of Engineers auditorium in Dhaka. The meeting was organized by the leaders of the “All-Party Student Alliance,” who led the mass uprising of the 1990s, to mark the martyrdom anniversary of anti-autocracy movement hero Naziruddin Jehad.
Mirza Fakhrul said, “Democracy cannot be established by a few people making laws. No matter how much reform we do or how many strategies intellectuals devise, we cannot return to democracy without forming a government elected by the people.”
He further said, “The people of Bangladesh love democracy and freedom. They have repeatedly struggled, fought, and shed blood for independence. Although they have stumbled many times, they have always stood up again and achieved victory through struggle and sacrifice.”
Criticizing the government, the BNP leader said, “The monster Hasina has wrecked everything in the country — the judiciary, administration, economy, health, and education systems. Nothing in the country is functioning normally anymore.”
Responding to National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari’s comment about the ‘Shapla symbol,’ Mirza Fakhrul said, “We never objected to anyone’s election symbol. It is up to the Election Commission to decide who gets which symbol. But they are unnecessarily creating controversy over our ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ because it has become unstoppable. The slogan of the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ is now echoing across the country.”
He added, “There are efforts to block the ‘Sheaf of Paddy,’ but if it wins, those who are conspiring against Bangladesh will be forced to leave