BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said Sunday that delaying national elections contradicts democratic values and the recent mass uprising led by students and workers.
“People want an immediate election,” he said during a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan. “Those who want to delay the election are surely not pro-democratic forces and not pro-July-August revolution forces.”
Fakhrul said BNP sees the political dialogue between Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman in London as a basis for a potential path forward.
Rejects Allegations of Misinformation
Fakhrul criticized what he described as a campaign of false propaganda targeting the party.
“A few individuals and groups are spreading false propaganda involving BNP to create a negative impression in the public mind. But people are not responding to it.”
He insisted that the public understands BNP’s legacy and its consistent role in major democratic and national developments.
Reform Record Defended
The BNP leader defended the party’s position on political reform, calling it long-standing and sincere.
“There is no room to question BNP’s commitment to reform,” he said.
“Begum Khaleda Zia first introduced the reform idea in 2016 with the Vision-2030 initiative.”
Fakhrul referenced subsequent reform proposals—including a 27-point and a 31-point framework—shared through public events and outreach to civil society.
“Despite all this, a certain group is deliberately trying to portray BNP as being against reforms,” he said. “This is part of a planned campaign to mislead people.”
Resilience After Struggles
Fakhrul said the BNP has grown stronger through adversity, citing years of repression, disappearances, and casualties among party workers.
“The blood of hundreds of martyrs and the sacrifices of our activists have strengthened our unity,” he said.
“BNP remains active in resisting authoritarianism and fascism.”
He argued that real democracy is undermined when power becomes too centralized or when elected institutions lose their authority.
Appeal for Unity and Purpose
Fakhrul called on political stakeholders and citizens to move beyond partisan agendas.
“Let us not fail in our responsibility to build a discrimination-free, humane, and prosperous Bangladesh,” he said. “Let’s be guided by the spirit of our Liberation War, the 1990 student uprising, and the July–August 2024 mass movement.”
BNP Standing Committee members Nazrul Islam Khan and Salahuddin Ahmed also spoke during the briefing.
