BNP never believes in one-party rule: Fakhrul

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today (20 June) rejected allegations that the BNP is attempting to establish one-party rule, saying the party has consistently fought to uphold democracy over the past five decades.

"BNP has never believed in a one-party system. We have been struggling for the establishment and protection of democracy for the last 50 years," he told reporters after visiting the graves of July Uprising martyrs at North Islampur graveyard in Munshiganj.

His remarks came a day after Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman alleged at a rally in Narayanganj that the BNP-led government was trying to establish one-party rule in the country.

Responding to the allegation, Fakhrul said, "It would be better to ask the opposition leader what he meant. We can only say that we do not believe in a one-party system."

He also criticised Jamaat, saying, "Jamaat is a regimented political party. They do not believe in democracy."

On Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's upcoming visit to Malaysia, Fakhrul said strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries would be a key focus of the trip.

He expressed hope that discussions would also address the reopening of Malaysia's labour market for Bangladeshi workers, which has remained largely closed for a prolonged period.

Earlier in the day, Fakhrul, also the BNP secretary general, inaugurated the foundation stone of a two-storey market at Bhoberchar Bazar and the Kalitala-Hoglakandi road development project in Gazaria upazila, both implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).

Later in the afternoon, he attended a meeting at the Munshiganj Circuit House auditorium where officials discussed infrastructure development projects, transport connectivity and other development initiatives in the district.