Law and order, graft, economy key challenges for new govt: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that his party's next government will face major challenges in maintaining law and order, fighting corruption, and boosting the economy, report agencies.
"The biggest challenges for the next government will be to get the economy moving, maintain law and order, control corruption, and ensure justice. These are the key challenges," he said.
Fakhrul made the remarks while talking to reporters outside the international terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday after returning from his electoral area in Thakurgaon.
He said the BNP, having won a majority of seats in the 13th parliamentary election, will form the next government under the leadership of party Chairman Tarique Rahman.
According to unofficial results, BNP won 209 out of 299 seats.
'Joy and sadness together'
Commenting on the election results, Fakhrul described the moment as both joyous and sad.
"One part is joy, another part is sadness. Our late chairperson and national leader, Begum Khaleda Zia, could not see this unprecedented victory, which is very sad," he said.
He said after the success of the student-led mass uprisings, achieved at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives, a transparent election was held in a festive mood.
"Personally, I am deeply impressed. If we can maintain this continuity, we can preserve the progress of democracy," the BNP leader said.
When asked about the election held without the participation of the Awami League, Fakhrul said, "the Election Commission has already taken decisions regarding the Awami League, and their activities have been suspended. Further decisions will depend on future political developments."
After arriving in Dhaka from the airport, Fakhrul went to the BNP chairman's office in Gulshan to congratulate Tarique Rahman with flowers.
Party Standing Committee members Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salauddin Ahmed were present.
Meanwhile, BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan has said that those raising allegations over Thursday's parliamentary elections must provide evidence to support their claims, report agencies.
Talking to journalists at the Election Commission on Friday, Nazrul Islam responded to allegations made by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami over alleged vote rigging and warnings of protests.
"They may feel hurt and express themselves, but if anyone makes allegations against someone, it is their responsibility to prove them," he said, adding that no allegations had been made directly against his party.
Nazrul Islam, who serves as chairman of the BNP's Election Steering Committee, said the party was observing victories in more than two-thirds of the constituencies.
He said this indicated that the electorate had given BNP the mandate to govern for the next five years.
Nazrul described the day as 'a significant one in Bangladesh's history' and said voters had once again entrusted the party with governing responsibilities.
He also expressed gratitude to supporters and thanked the electorate.
When asked about the possibility of forming a national government, Nazrul said there had been no discussions on the matter.
He clarified that his visit to the Election Commission was not an official party briefing, adding that BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman would later deliver a formal statement on behalf of the party.
Nazrul Islam said BNP's coalition partners had also secured victories, which he said reflected public confidence in the alliance's leadership and future plans.
Comparing the latest election with previous polls, he said earlier elections had seen significant loss of life, whereas this time there had been no reported casualties, describing it as an important development.
He, however, acknowledged that voter turnout had not reached expected levels and expressed hope that participation would increase in future elections.
Nazrul Islam thanked media organisations for their coverage, saying it had helped voters understand BNP's plans and contributed to the electoral outcome.
He also described the day as 'a significant one in Bangladesh's history.'
"The people have once again entrusted BNP with the opportunity to govern the country. For this, I thank Allah and express my gratitude to people," he stated.
He said his visit to the commission was not an official briefing but aimed at reviewing the results, and BNP chairman Tarique Rahman would provide a formal statement on the elections on behalf of the party.
Comparing the current election with previous ones, he highlighted that earlier polls resulted in significant loss of lives but this time there were no casualties, calling it an important development.
He acknowledged that voter turnout was not optimal and expressed hope that more people would participate in the coming days.
He further noted that BNP had fielded 292 candidates and initially aimed to win all seats.
"Although the results this time were not as expected we remain hopeful for even better outcomes in the future," he said.
Meanwhile, BNP senior leader and MP-elect from Dhaka-8 Mirza Abbas said despite extensive attempts at 'vote engineering' by his man rival candidate, they failed to override the people's mandate.
"A certain group tried to divert the people's votes through cunning tactics, but their attempts ultimately failed against the tide of public support," he said.
Talking to reporters after visiting his family graveyard in Shahjahanpur following Juma prayers, Abbas alleged that a large number of ballots in his favour were unfairly cancelled.
He also expressed surprise at the vote count of his nearest rival National Citizen Party (NCP) candidate Mohammad Nasir Uddin Patwary.
"They have no real public support, so how did they get so many votes? This clearly shows the manipulation that took place behind the scenes," he said.