Ghosts of fascist past in govt conspiring to thwart students' victory: Fakhrul

There are many ghosts of the country's fascist past currently in the interim government, conspiring to thwart the victory achieved by the recent student-led mass uprising, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (17 September).

"In return for the sacrifice of the students, we got an opportunity to establish democracy. Let's not throw it away," the senior BNP leader said while addressing a rally at Nayapaltan where Acting Chairman of the party Tarique Rahman was present as the chief guest.

BNP holds rally at Nayapaltan on 17 September 2024. Photo: Rajib Dhar/TBS

At the event, BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas said his party is eager for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to return to the country so that she can be tried for the 17 years of oppression inflicted on the partymen.

"She [Hasina] claims she will swiftly return to the country. We also want her to come back, so we can hold her accountable for 17 years of arrests and persecution of our partymen," the BNP leader said while addressing a rally at Nayapaltan.

Referring to the interim government, Abbas stated, "We have repeatedly said we will give the government a reasonable timeframe to hold election, but that does not mean we will allow them an unlimited period."

The party's Joint Secretary General Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel criticised former prime minister Sheikh Hasina for ignoring the party's repeated calls to establish a caretaker government.

"Hasina chose to ignore our calls and listened to foreign powers instead. If she had listened to us, she wouldn't have had to flee like this," he said.

The BNP leader mocked the idea that Sheikh Hasina might quickly return to Bangladesh, saying, "…Let her come!... And where is Obaidul Quader? He said he wouldn't flee."

Sohel also criticised the Awami League leadership, accusing them of abandoning their partmen. "The leader has fled, leaving behind all his people. It's a classic case of 'save yourself'."

He further accused Hasina of being a murderer, claiming she was responsible for the killing of many, including children, citing the 2013 Shapla Chattar incident and the 2009 BDR mutiny, where 57 military officers were killed.

He referred to her as a "serial killer" and warned those who harbour her, saying, "Listen carefully, if Dhaka is not at peace, neither will Delhi be."

Also speaking at the rally, the BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said, "…The quota reform movement secured students' rights, but the people's right to vote has still not been established.

"Therefore, we urged the government to transfer power to the people's government through an immediate election," he added.

BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moin Khan stated, "The students and the public have granted this interim government the authority to reform the country and restore it from autocracy.

"However, it's important to remember that the people have been struggling for democracy for the past 17 years," he added.

Scores of BNP leaders and activists were gathered at Nayapaltan to commemorate "victims of political repression" and in observance of International Democracy Day.

The rally began at 2:30pm.

However, people started to gather in the area with small rallies from 12:30pm.

Photo: Rajib Dhar/TBS

Small pockets of rallies held by the BNP and its associate bodies could also be seen in different parts of the capital including Nayapaltan, Kakrail, Malibagh, Shantinagar, Vijayanagar, Fakirapool, and Arambagh areas, resulting in some gridlock.

Traffic has come to a standstill on both sides of the VIP road. They were seen holding the party flag and national flags, banners, festoons in their hands.

Not only in Dhaka, people also held rallies in different cities in the country since the morning. 

Party acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman attended virtually as the chief guest, while BNP Standing Committee members and senior leaders also spoke under the chairmanship of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The rallies are being held a month after the day of the Bangla Blockade – the initial movement which eventually deposed Sheikh Hasina – which began on 17 July.

BNP standing committee member AZM Zahid Hossain, after a joint meeting with the party leaders at its central office at Nayapaltan in Dhaka on Friday, announced that they would be holding two rallies. One would be at the Central Shaheed Minar to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the recent student-led mass uprising and another rally to mark International Democracy Day at the Nayapaltan.

Earlier on 15 September, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, claimed that 422 of 875 martyrs of the July-August protests were affiliated with the BNP.

"There is no room to undermine BNP's contribution here. The July-August movement didn't suddenly emerge, rather it was part of BNP's long-standing struggle," he said.