BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has accused the fallen Awami League of being a fascist party, claiming that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country's founding leader, laid the foundation for fascism between 1972 and 1975.
Fakhrul made the statement during a BNP conference at the Chuadanga Town Football Ground on Saturday (November 23).
"Awami League has never been a democratic party; they are a fascist party," Fakhrul said. "Sheikh Mujib is the father of fascism in Bangladesh."
He also criticised the party's treatment of opposition leaders when it was in power, alleging that over the past 16 years, Awami League and Juba League activists, with the help of police, have used violence—including stabbings and shootings—against BNP leaders and members, leading to numerous disappearances.
Fakhrul argued that such actions are incompatible with any democratic system.
"The Awami League could avoid the wrath of the people for now, but Bangladesh is slowly emerging from this darkness by the grace of Allah," he said.
The conference, which was chaired by District BNP Convener Mahmud Hasan Khan and moderated by District BNP Member Secretary Sharifuzzaman Sharif, also featured virtual remarks by BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.
Other notable leaders, including BNP Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Acting Organising Secretary Anindya Islam Amit, and several district-level BNP figures, addressed the gathering.