BNP voiced its reform plan long ago and made all sacrifices: Amir Khasru

BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury speaking at a roundtable on Take Back Bangladesh at the National Press Club on Monday 12 November 2024._11zon

BNP standing committee member Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury said on Tuesday his party has been discussing reform of structure of the state for a long time to be caried out after the defeat of the government of Sheikh Hasina. 

Khaleda Zia gave the vision 2030 and the the party 31-point programme by taking other parties in movement with it. Those who are talking of reform should know this, he said.

He said BNP's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman wanted implementation of reforms through a national government after elections. For reforms the need is to achieve peoples unity, by taking all others along, he said.

Addressing a roundtable on 'Take back Bangladesh' and thoughts of citizens at the National Press Club, he said, "We from BNP have no objection to reforms by the Interim Government on which there is unanimity for holding of the next elections and remaining things should be left to be done by elected people. 

Amir Khashru said the people of Bangladesh accepted the slogan, waged movement and took all the sufferings, deaths, enforced disappesrances, lost jobs and still carried forward the movement.

The slogan was at their hearts as the fascists had sold out the country to cling to power. So the people of Bangladesh wanted to get their country back, the country which was acieved at the cost of lakhs of lives.

Tarique had a big idea behind this slogan to free the country, to restore the ownership of the country to the people. 

Tarique towed the same line of building the country as done by Shaheed Zia and Begum Khaleda by taking all others along. Khaleda had to fight taking risk of going to jail. Tarique conceived the idea to rebuild Bangladesh through reforms. 

Fascists said development comes before democracy. Yet there had been no development but looting. They 

forfeited the rights of the people. To us the only craving is restore the ownership of the people and get back to democracy. People will decide what to do next. 

Those of us who lost everything for movement will implement the 31 programme. The present BNP has grown out of sacrifice of 16 years. It's a party of a different character. We fought for people's rights. So long as election is not held accountability is not created, there is no democracy. BNP has no 'bayan' (sermon) in the name of democracy. 

We are cooperating with Interim Government and  want it to succeed for transition to democracy. We unitedly defeated Hasina and want to restore democracy unitedly through a national unity. 

Referring to a call for banning the AL he said that the party can be rejected through election and by no other means. People will decide who will rule. Democracy is the only filtering and correction process, he said adding creation of an independent and human Bangladesh is our goal to bring the coutry back to the right track. 

After 16 years of movement the thinking of people has changed. They want transparent and accountable government. We will establish this through elections, he added.

The roundtable was presided over by Mostafa Kamal Majumder, editor, GreenWatch Dhaka and convener, Voice for Democracy and People's Voting Rights.

Dr. M Mujubur Rahman, former Assistant Prof. Of Shajalal University, Sylhet, presented a paper at the roundtable which was also addressed by Humayun kabir Bapari, member-secretary, Voice for Democracy; ASM Iqbal Hossain, Patuakhali, S & T University, Mujibur Rahman, BNP Ctg; Lion Dr. Sheikh Faridul Islam, VP Bagerhat BNP; Abu Naser Rahmatullah, Member, BNP National Executive Committee; Kazi Md Mujbur Rahman, Pol Sc department, DU; Amirul Islam Kagoji, Sr Journalist and columnist; Warrier Col Abdul Haque (retd) and Dr AKM Motiur Rahman, Dean, Social Science, Islamic University, Kushtia.