FE REPORT
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has reiterated his party's call for holding a national election quickly after completion of reforms in election commission and police administration.
"In fact, doubt has started pouring on you (interim govt). We want the success of the government. Your (the govt's) success means our success. If you fail, it will be considered our failure," he said.
Mr Fakhrul made the remarks while addressing a discussion organised on the occasion of National Revolution and Solidarity Day.
The Bangladesh Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad (BSPP) organised the programme at the Abdus Salam Hall in the National Press Club in the capital on Tuesday.
"We don't want Sheikh Hasina to come back to Bangladesh. We don't want to see the resurgence of Awami League's misrule in the country again," the BNP secretary general said.
He mentioned that BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman had introduced high yielding varieties of paddy to produce more foods in the country.
Fakhrul stated that garment industries started flourishing and remittance started flowing to the country during the Ziaur Rahman's rule.
"He (Ziaur Rahman) had also worked for development of womenfolk. How we forget his contributions? He believed in democracy that it is the only way out. The destroyers of the country had killed him," he continued.
"It was made possible to oust autocratic ruler HM Ershad through Begum Khaleda Zia's declaration for reintroducing the parliamentary system of government in the country," he stated.
"We (BNP) failed to wage a strong movement against the Sheikh Hasina-led government when her government cancelled the caretaker government system. Why we couldn't do that? Is it true? We couldn't remove her (Hasina) from power even after struggling for 15 years. But our children (students-mass people) have scored the final goal," he continued.
"Our priority is to create democratic environment in the country, creating space for democracy. We (BNP) have introduced our 31-point reform charter after consultations with political parties. Now new comers (in politics) started talking differently," he maintained.
"Does BNP talk about election only for going to power? No, almost all the problems of the country would be resolved if a national election is held quickly," he said.
About the agitation being waged by Titumir College students said, "Didn't the government intelligence have information (about the movement? Couldn't they take initiatives much earlier? In fact, it proves that the government is yet to become stable," he said.
BNP health affairs secretary Rafiqul Islam, Bangladesh Sikkhak Karmochari Oikkya Parishad chairman Selim Bhuiyan, Doctors Association of Bangladesh President Harun Al Rashid and its former president Azizul Haque were present, among others.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com