BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today spoke at a book launching ceremony at the Jatiya Press Club. Photo : BSS

DHAKA, Oct 29, 2025 (BSS) - BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said that after the War of Liberation in 1971, the country plunged into terrible dictatorship.

"For five years following the 1971 Liberation War, we were under a terrifying autocratic government," he said while speaking at a book launching ceremony at the Jatiya Press Club (JPC) as the chief guest. 

The book named "Justice, Reform and Election: Bangladesh in the Interim Period" authored by journalist and litterateur Ehsan Mahmud was formally launched at the event.

Referring to the fact that the country's reforms later came through BNP, he said, "Following the 1975 change over, we transitioned from that one-party rule to a multi-party democracy...It was BNP that established media freedom.” 

However, he said, “We shifted from the Presidential form of government to the Parliamentary form of government and passed the Caretaker Government system in Parliament”. 

Mentioning that false propaganda has been spreading against BNP regarding reform, he said Begum Khaleda Zia announced Vision-2030 in 2016 on behalf of the BNP for 'State Repair'.

Subsequently, he said, a 27-point programme was declared in 2022. Later, we announced a 31-point program in collaboration with everyone. Therefore, the BNP was born through reform.

Mirza Fakhrul also continued, “We are not being able to properly utilize such a major mass uprising, which was achieved at the cost of so many lives, for the welfare of the nation... Unfortunately, we observe that as the days pass, we are becoming more and more divided. We must realize who is causing this division and why."

Referring to the submission of the National Consensus Commission's recommendations to the Chief Adviser on Tuesday, he said, “We had given a 'note of dissent' on the issues within the Consensus Commission with which we did not agree”. 

Regarding the upcoming parliamentary polls, he expressed the hope that the election would be held immediately, incorporating all the points on which all parties in the Consensus Commission agreed and disagreed.

 “Through this, we will be able to create a people's Parliament and restore people's rule to the country," he added.

Chief coordinator of the Ganosanhati Andolan Zonayed Saki, Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur, Joint Editor of Prothom Alo Sohrab Hasan and Writer and Journalist Shahanaj Munni also spoke on the occasion.