Interim government will be able to hold elections at a logical time: Fakhrul

BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today that the party’s leaders and activists have taken a new oath to resist hegemonic forces in a bid to protect the country’s democracy, independence and sovereignty.

Talking to reporters at the tomb of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, he also expressed hope that the interim government would be able to organize national elections within a proper and reasonable time frame.

“On November 7, after paying tribute to Ziaur Rahman, we took an oath that we will oppose fascism together with the people. If necessary, we will launch a strong movement to protect democracy and preserve the independence and sovereignty of the country,” Fakhrul said.

He also expressed confidence that the people of Bangladesh will unite to strengthen the spirit of the students’ revolution.

Replying to a question, he said that the interim government had indeed played an effective role during the last three months.

“They have done a lot of things and continue to do so. If we all cooperate with them, they can hold elections at an appropriate and logical time to solve the problems facing the nation,” the BNP leader said.

Earlier in the day, Fakhrul, accompanied by thousands of leaders and activists, laid wreaths and offered fateha at the grave of Ziaur Rahman, marking the ‘National Revolution and Solidarity Day’. This day commemorates the “civil-military uprising” of November 7, 1975.

On this day in 1975, during a period of political unrest, soldiers and civilians worked together to free the then Chief of Army Staff Ziaur Rahman from captivity in Dhaka Cantonment, clearing his path to power.

Fakhrul said that the fascist Awami League government had repeatedly hatched conspiracies and resorted to repressive actions to eliminate the BNP.

He claimed that the AL had falsely accused 60,000 people, subjected about 700 to enforced disappearances, and killed several thousand people in its attempts to establish one-party rule and fascism.

“But by the grace of Allah, fascism and hegemonic forces were defeated in Bangladesh for the third time through the student mass movement in 2024,” Fakhrul said.