News Flash
DHAKA, Aug 21, 2025 (BSS) - BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today urged everyone to unite and work together, calling for an end to the politics of division and fragmentation.
He said, "What happened in the past is in the past. From now on, no one should engage in the politics of division. For the existence and survival of Bangladesh, for its advancement and further development, now, we all have to work together in unity."
Mirza Fakhrul made the remarks while speaking at a 'Janmashtami greetings exchange' event with the leaders of the Hindu community.
Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Welfare Fund and BNP jointly organised the event held at the Engineers Institution auditorium in Ramna.
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman was present as the chief guest at the event while General Secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Welfare Fund Tarun Kumar Dey moderated it.
Member of BNP National Executive Committee and General Secretary of the Dhaka District BNP Advocate Nipun Roy Chowdhury gave the welcome address.
Referring to the rise of extremism, Fakhrul said, "A new issue is emerging today; a conspiracy is underway. A kind of extremism is raising its head in Bangladesh. This extremism must not be allowed to grow. If it does, we won't be able to protect the soul and existence of Bangladesh. This is something we all must remember."
"We who live in Bangladesh, whether Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, or Awami League, we are all friends and citizens of this country. As citizens, we are all friends to one another. Sadly, those who have ruled us for the past 15 years, misleading us to get our votes, did not consider us friends. They considered us subjects. They have oppressed, tortured, and persecuted us, and looted all of the country's wealth, sending it abroad, he added.
Highlighting the activities of fugitive Awami League leaders in Bangkok, he said, "A few days ago, I went to Bangkok for medical treatment. There, I heard from my friends that there's a huge rush for renting houses in the most elite areas of Bangkok. Those houses are being rented by all the exiled Awami League leaders. The cars they are buying are all worth no less than Tk 20 million each. Where did this money come from?"
"The Awami League has smuggled this country's wealth. You all know this; there's nothing new to say. I just want to say that under Sheikh Hasina's leadership, the Awami League has destroyed the entire democratic framework of Bangladesh. The Awami League has looted the country's wealth and smuggled it abroad, nearly 28 lakh crore Taka (BDT 28 trillion) has been smuggled. We have almost no assets left; everything has been smuggled away," he added.
Recalling the 1971 Liberation War, he said, "1971 gave me an independent country and an independent identity. That's why I have my existence today; I have survived. I want to remember the martyrs of August 24 because they taught us to dream of a new democratic state and gave us the opportunity to do so. We must keep both of these things in mind."
"Today, there is a tremendous effort to make people forget about 1971. Citizens of Bangladesh must unite against this. Just as the events of August 24 are true, so is the nine-month long Liberation War of 1971. The declaration of that war was made by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, the founder of our party," he added.
The BNP leader said, "Remembering this Janmashtami will only be truly successful if we can establish the rule of law in Bangladesh, if we can establish democracy, if we can secure the rights of the people, and if we can establish justice, equality, and fairness for all. This will be our greatest task for the future."
Mirza Fakhrul said, "We know that not just in Bangladesh, but across the Indo-Pak subcontinent, communalism is often used as a political weapon. We must rise above that. We all must rise above it and, as one community, love this country and our motherland. We must build a Bangladesh that is rich in wealth and resources, a Bangladesh where there is no division between Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians. We will be able to establish truth, justice, and give priority to humanitarian values in Bangladesh. Let this be the best way to remember this great day."
BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Professor Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain and Dr. Abdul Moin Khan, BNP Joint Secretary General Advocate Abdus Salam Azad, Religious Affairs Secretary Md. Rafiqul Islam Jamal, BNP Vice Chairman Advocate Nitai Roy Chowdhury, and Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Welfare Fund Chairman Bijay Kanti Sarkar, among others, spoke in the event.
