Fakhrul hopes interim govt will hold elections at right time

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Thursday that the interim government had accomplished a lot in the past three months. He expressed hope that, with their cooperation, the government would hold elections at an appropriate and logical time.

Fakhrul made these remarks after paying tribute to Ziaur Rahman’s mausoleum in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, around 11 am on the occasion of the 7th November Revolution and Solidarity Day.

When asked whether the interim government had taken any effective steps in the past three months, Fakhrul responded, "Certainly, they have done a lot of work. We believe that, if they are able to hold elections at the appropriate time, it will be possible to address the challenges facing the nation."

Fakhrul further stated, "On November 7, 1975, the patriotic soldiers and people defeated imperialism and its allies for the second time, creating a new Bangladesh."

He added, "After November 7, politics in Bangladesh revolved around independence and sovereignty. This was a struggle to defeat the enemies of democracy and establish a true democracy. In this context, after the soldiers' revolution in 1975, when Ziaur Rahman assumed the responsibility of running the state, he transformed the country's situation."

He explained that Ziaur Rahman, during his time, transformed one-party rule into multi-party democracy and shifted the country from a controlled economy to a free-market economy. Fakhrul stated that Zia created new economic possibilities for Bangladesh.

Fakhrul continued, "After President Ziaur Rahman assumed office, he founded the nationalist party and the ideology of nationalism. This ideology has guided the party in its long struggle for democracy."

Referring to the conspiracies of the previous fascist government, Fakhrul said, "The past fascist government persecuted the BNP in many ways. This Awami League regime filed false cases against nearly 6 million people, harassed them, abducted 700 individuals, and murdered thousands in an attempt to establish fascism. But by the grace of Allah, on August 5, through a people's uprising, imperialism was defeated for the third time in this country."

At the tribute ceremony, BNP Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Khondkar Mosharraf Hossain, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, A Z M Jahid Hossain, Advisory Council member Aman Ullah Aman, Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury, along with leaders and activists from the central, metropolitan, and various affiliated organizations of the party, were also present.