Mirza Fakhrul got up and gave this big speech on Monday, basically saying that Tarique Rahman isn’t just trying to win an election—he wants to change the very fabric of the country, from politics to the economy.
And then, speaking to a crowd of young party members, he compared Rahman’s vision to—get this—Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I have a dream’ speech.
“When I see the path our leader Tarique Rahman is showing, when I hear his dreams for our economy and politics, it reminds me of Martin Luther King’s historic words: ‘I have a dream,'” Fakhrul said. “Tarique Rahman also has a dream, and we will move forward with that dream. We will win.”
To mark one year since the July uprising, activists and thinkers gathered at the IEB auditorium in Dhaka for a discussion they called “Anti-Fascist Movement: My Unspoken Words.”
Fakhrul reflected on the party’s role during times of crisis.
“I wonder if it is a coincidence that whenever the country is destroyed and the economy is destroyed, the responsibility falls on the BNP to rebuild it,” he said. “Today, perhaps BNP will have to take that responsibility again. This challenge must be faced.”
He also alleged that conspiracies are underway to create instability and block the country’s path toward democracy.
“As long as BNP, Jubo Dal, and Chhatra Dal survive, no force will be able to destroy democracy,” Fakhrul said.
He pointed to the achievements of previous BNP-led governments, including initiatives during the tenure of the party’s founder, late president Ziaur Rahman, and urged party supporters to stay determined.
“We must work together to take the country forward,” he said.
