We will win movement for democracy with people's power: BNP

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir addressing a rally of the Bangladesh United Professionals Council at the Institution of Engineers on Saturday,

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday urged all people to come out of their homes and join movement to restore their voting rights. “We will win the movement with the power of the people”, he said while addressing a rally of the Bangladesh United Professionals’ Council at the Institution of Engineers auditorium.

He said the current one-point movement was also for consolidating independence and sovereignty, restoring the freedom of the judiciary, reforming the destroyed education system, ensuring recovery of the economy and redoing the Constitution to again reflect the rights, hopes and aspirations of the people.  .

This movement is not of any party or individual but of the whole people to take back the ownership of the country. That’s central to BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman‘s call, “Take back Bangladesh;” he said. Mirza Fakhrul said BNP’s chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was held in jail in judgments of fabricated cases while the Acting Chairman was forced to lead life in exile. Lakhs of leaders and workers of the party were compelled to appear court cases filed all over the country. Of late threats have been given to revive the 2013-15 cases and convict BNP leaders and workers by speeding up court proceedings.

The BNP secretary general said the government talked of mega projects while TV footages showed tall talks of those every day, but ordinary people don't have food to eat. Writer Zia Hasan's book not allowed in book fair. Khadijatul Kobra arrested under DSA just for a Facebook post. HC bail granted to her has been rejected by the Supreme Court. Young people having any link with any BNP leader or worker are refused jobs. Media is under govt control and do not properly cover BNP programs.

He said in the 2014 polls, 154 MPs were chosen without election. 2018 elections were held on the night before depriving the people of their right to vote. More than a dozen people have been given death sentences for attacking Sheikh Hasina's motorcade 27 years ago. There can't be rapprochement with them nor polls under them. That's why one point movement, he said.

Urging professionals and intellectuals to lend full support to the movement for restoring the rights of the people the BNP leader said, their support was crucial to the success of all people’s movement of the past including the language movement of 1952, the anti-Ayub movement of the sixties, the Liberation War and the anti-autocracy movements in independent Bangladesh. The present suffocating situation needs to change, but change will remain incomplete without inputs from intellectuals, he added. 

Dr. Zahid Hossain, convener of the professionals’ council presided over the rally which was rounded off with a silent road march to the National Press Club. Among others the function was addressed by Prof. Anwarullah Chowdhury, former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University and member-secretary of the professionals’ council Kader Gani Chowdhury.