Can't run country with hired people, says Fakhrul

FE Team | Published: July 26, 2025 22:11:02

Stating that a democratic system established through a national election is essential for reforms, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said it is not possible to run the country by hiring a few people from home and abroad, reports UNB.
"Can a country be run by hiring a few people from home and abroad? No, it cannot. This simple fact we need to understand," he said.
Speaking at a discussion, he also criticised those who think reforms can happen overnight or just through a few meetings. "Reform must be carried out through a process. It is a continuous process."
The BNP leader said if the government thinks the police will stop taking bribes from tomorrow just because it wants them to, it will not happen. "You have to build a structure where bribery is discouraged."
Zia Parishad organised the programme titled 'July Uprising: Expectation and Achievement at the Jatiya Press Club,' marking the first anniversary of last year's mass uprising that led to the fall of what he described as the fascist rule of Sheikh Hasina.
Fakhrul also blamed the existing bureaucracy for holding back the country's development.
"Our bureaucracy is a major obstacle to development. It is a negative bureaucracy and must be turned into a positive one. To do that, we mainly need to involve the people in the process," he said.
The BNP leader said political parties should focus on returning to the people, learning about their needs and reflecting those needs in running the country.
Referring to the criticism BNP faces for demanding elections, Fakhrul said, "As soon as we started talking about the election, they began saying BNP only wants polls. But has anyone thought about why we want the election?"
Without elections, he said true public representatives cannot be chosen. "And without representatives, how can they go to Parliament? And if there is no elected Parliament, how can people's rule be established?"
Speaking on the topic of the PR or proportional representation election system, the BNP Secretary General said some political parties have started talking about it in different ways.