Enemies of nation trying to rise again, creating unrest: Fakhrul
Just as Ziaur Rahman once united the nation, Tarique Rahman is now trying to do the same from abroad, says the senior BNP leader.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has warned that "enemies of the nation are once again trying to rise", creating unrest and spreading false propaganda on social media, at a time when people are living in uncertainty and despair.
"In such a situation, the spirit of unity embodied in 7 November has become even more relevant," he said after an event on the "Sipahi-Janata Revolution of 7 November" at the BNP central office in Naya Paltan today (2 November).
Saying the day marks an important turning point in Bangladesh's political history, Fakhrul stated, "In 1975, through the Sipahi-Janata Revolution, martyred President Ziaur Rahman was freed from house arrest. Conspirators against the nation had imprisoned him.
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"From that situation, patriotic soldiers and the people liberated him, and thus began a new chapter of Bangladesh's success in history."
"He took Bangladesh from being called a 'bottomless basket' to a nation of potential. It was during his tenure that Bangladesh experienced its resurgence, marking the beginning of its journey towards becoming an 'imagined tiger'," Fakhrul added.
Describing BNP founder Ziaur Rahman as "a rare leader in Bangladesh's political history", he recalled, "We all know that on 25 March 1971, when the Pakistani occupation forces launched their brutal attack on unarmed Bengalis, it was that fearless military officer who declared from Chittagong's Kalurghat Radio Station on 26 March - 'I hereby declare the independence of Bangladesh'."
The following five years witnessed what he described as "the history of misrule by the Awami League", he said.
"Under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's leadership, a one-party system - BAKSAL - was established. Administrative failure, corruption, and misrule led to the devastating famine of 1974, in which hundreds of thousands of people died of starvation. Even in Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's presence, the then president of the Economic Association admitted that Bangladesh's economy was rapidly sinking," he said.
Fakhrul said that after 1975, it was Ziaur Rahman who brought about change. "He initiated the first wave of political reform, moving the country away from a one-party system to a multi-party democracy.
"He ensured press freedom, reinstated banned newspapers, established judicial independence, and formed the Supreme Judicial Council."
"In the economy, he [Ziaur] ushered in a new era. Under his leadership, the garment industry took shape, and the process of sending migrant workers abroad began, laying the foundation of today's remittance-driven economy. He also took ground-breaking initiatives for women's education and empowerment," continued Fakhrul.
He also said that just as Ziaur Rahman once united the nation, his son and successor Tarique Rahman is now trying to do the same from abroad.
"The struggle that began under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia is being carried forward by Tarique Rahman today, offering the nation a new ray of hope," he said.
