Restoring democracy is answer, Fakhrul tells Black Day meet

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir addressing a meeting organised by BFUJ and DUJ to observe Black Day at the National Press Club on Thursday.

Dhaka, June 16 – BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said Awami League has snatched democracy, freedom of the press and the rights of people and individuals while BNP restored press freedom, democracy and introduced multi-party democracy. “This is the basic difference between the Awami League and the BNP.”

Fakhrul reaffirmed that their parry will revoke all ‘black’ and ‘repressive’ laws, including the Digital Security Act, if it returns to power. 

Speaking at a discussion, he said joining the polls under this government means giving it more legitimacy. “It’s now a proven fact.”

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) arranged the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club to mark the ‘Black Day commemorating the shutdown of all newspapers except four state-run ones on 16 June 1975.

Presided over by M Abdullah, president BFUJ, the function was also addressed by GreenWatch Dhaka editor Mostafa Kamal Majumder, ex-BFUJ president Ruhul Amin Gazi, former president of BFUJ and National Press Club, Shaukat Mahmud, ex-secretary general of BFUJ MA Aziz, BFUJ secretary general Nurul Amin Rokon, DUJ president Kader Gani Chowdhury, secretary of National Press Club Elias Khan, Dhaka Journalist Housing Siciety president Abdul Awal Thakur, former presidents of DRU Rafiqul Islam Azad and Elias Hossain among others. Former MPs Zahir Uddin Swapan and shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anny were present. 

He said their party boycotted the election to Cumilla City Corporation as it knew what would happen there.

“You yourself saw yesterday's election. I don’t want to talk about it further…We knew earlier that this thing would happen there. That’s why we earlier clearly said we would not go to any polls under this regime,” he said.

Awami League mayoral candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat was unofficially declared the winner of the high-voltage Cumilla City Corporation election held on Wednesday.

Fakhrul bemoaned that though 50 years have passed since the independence of Bangladesh, the nation still could not ensure a system of peaceful transfer of power.

“When the arrangement was made for holding the election under a partisan government annulling the caretaker government system through the 15th amendment to the constitution, our leader Khaleda Zia said that a permanent cause of violence and instability has been created through that incident,” he observed.

Under the circumstances, the BNP leader s/aid there is no alternative to restoring democracy in the country to protect press freedom, judiciary, administration, education and all other things.

Fakhrul said democracy and freedom of the press are inseparable. “How can we get the freedom of the press without having democracy? That is why we have been saying for the last few years that our goal is to bring back democracy.”

He said those who have destroyed and snatched democracy will not restore it. “That is the reality. There is nothing in the character of the Awami League to tolerate the dissent.”

The BNP leader said they are working to wake up people from all walks of life to restore democracy and give the ongoing movement a final shape.

Journalist leaders recalled the horrors of the annulment of publication of all newspapers except 4 in 1975 and said that newsmen were facing more trouble now as newspapers holding different viewpoints have been closed down and thousands of them remained unemployed.

They sought an asurance from the BNP that they would repeal all repressive laws and allow news media under professional news people if they return to power.