Polls to decide country’s future: Mirza Fakhrul

Bangla Press Desk: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that the upcoming national election, scheduled for February, will determine the political and economic future of Bangladesh.

“There is no alternative to democracy except democracy itself,” he asserted, adding that BNP believes a national referendum could be held on the same day as the election.

He made the remarks yesterday afternoon while addressing an extended meeting of Sadar Upazila and Ruhia Thana BNP at the Shilpakala Academy in Thakurgaon, where he attended as the chief guest.

Mirza Fakhrul said the opportunity to restore democracy must not be wasted. “We must ensure that we do not once again fall into the grip of fascists — people no longer want to see them,” he said.

He noted that the people of the country want an election where they can freely elect their representatives and establish a truly democratic government.

The BNP leader further stated that the party is the most persecuted in Bangladesh’s political history. He said BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has spent six years in prison, while many party leaders and activists have faced enforced disappearances, killings, and torture.

“Tarique Rahman has been forced to live in exile because of false cases and has yet to be able to return home,” Fakhrul added.

BP/SP