FE REPORT
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Saturday that the defeated force is still hatching conspiracy to create division among the like-minded political parties to foil the victory.
"Conspiracies are still being hatched to divide us. We (the democratic-minded political parties) must remain united to restore democracy in the country," he said at a rally organised by BNP in remembrance of the brave martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for restoration of democracy in the country.
He showed his respects to the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for restoration of democracy over the last 16 years including in the student-mass movement of July and August in 2024.
He also admired the courage of those who sustained injuries during the student-mass uprising in July this year and also during the last 16 years' movement for democracy in the country.
"I congratulate BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman for their struggles in restoring democracy in the country," he continued.
"Awami League had destroyed democracy and democratic institutions," he stated.
Mr Fakhrul Islam Alamgir hoped that the interim government would arrange a free, fair and neutral national election after completing state reforms.
"We hope that the interim government will create a level-playing field and arrange a national election after completing state reforms," he mentioned.
He said that the people of the county had laid down their lives during the War of Independence for democracy. But after the country's independence the then ruling Awami League killed democracy.
He said that the Awami League had brutally suppressed movements for restoration of democracy since 2009 until August 5, 2024.
At the rally, relatives of the martyrs demanded meting out exemplary punishment to those responsible for killing of students and people during the last over one and a half decades including the recent student-mass movement time.
Defying rains, leaders and activists of BNP gathered at the altar of Central Shahid Minar to join the rally that started at 3:30 pm and ended at 5:00 pm.
President of Gonoadhikar Parishad and former VP of Dhaka University Students Union Nurul Huq Noor said that many people were killed during the anti-Sheikh Hasina movement over the last one and a half decades.
He demanded punishment to those responsible for killing of students, children and people during the July student-mass uprising and also over the last one and half decades.
He said that ousting Sheikh Hasina regime on 5th August 2024 through student-mass movement was the culmination of the opposition movement during the last over one a half decades.
National Democratic Movement president Bobbi Hajjaj called upon all democratic-minded political parties to get united for establishing democracy and a prosperous Bangladesh.
Chief coordinator of Ganosanghati Andolon Zonayed Saki stressed forging greater unity among the like-minded democratic political parties.
Iman, who hailed from Tangail, had embraced martyrdom among others during the July-August protest against Sheikh Hasina regime. His younger brother Sujan demanded punishment of those responsible for the killing of his brother and others in different areas of the country during the anti-Sheikh Hasina movement.
BNP leaders Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie and Sultan Salah Uddin Tuku were present, among others, at the event that ended with rendition of the party song.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that attack on Swechchhasebak Dal leaders in Gopalganj by miscreants was a part of internal and external conspiracy.
Expressing his concern over the heinous attack on the motorcade of Swechchhasebak Dal president SM Jilani and his entourage in Gopalganj, he said, "Despite the fall of Awami fascist government by student-mass movement, the collaborators of the defeated force engage in creating anarchy in the country. They are still hatching deep conspiracy against the country and the people".
He made the comments in a statement issued on Friday.
The attack claimed the life of sports affairs secretary of Swechchhasebak Dal central committee Sawkat Ali Didar at Gonapra at around 4:30 pm in Gopalganj on Friday.
President of Swechchasebak Dal S M Jilani, his wife and also president of Gopalganj district Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal Raushan Ara Ratna, photojournalist H M Manik and 30 other persons were seriously injured during the attack.
"The criminals who amassed huge illegal wealth during the Awami League rule are now using that (money) for terrorist activities. The conspirators couldn't accept the victory of students-mass people and thus they are working to destabilise the country and killed Sawkat Ali Didar and injured others," he said.
"And for this reason, they (conspirators and collaborators of defeated force) have become desperate to kill people and leaders of like-minded democratic parties by carrying out attack," he maintained.
"The incident of attack on the motorcade of Swechchhasebak Dal president S M Jilani, killing of its (Swechchasebak Dal) sports affairs secretary of central committee Sawkat Ali Didar and injuring many others in Gopalganj (on Friday afternoon) are the reflection of conspiracy being hatched locally and internationally," he stated.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
"There is no alternative to dealing with the attackers with an iron hand. The students, people and all democratic minded political parties must get united so that the conspirators couldn't get any political mileage by following their path of attacks (BNP and other like-minded parties)," he said.
He called upon the students, people, BNP and like-minded political parties to get united to uproot the conspirators for ensuring public safety and establishing real democracy and good governance in the country.
Mr Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir demanded immediate arrest of those involved in the attack on S M Jilani and others and responsible for killing of Sawkat Ali Didar and awarding them exemplary punishment.
He prayed for the salvation of the departed soul of Sawkat Ali Didar and early recovery of those injured in the attack on Swechchhasebak Dal leaders in Gopalganj on Friday (September 13, 2024).
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com