Fakhrul laments growing political rifts even after July Uprising

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul today (20 October) lamented that political divisions are widening despite the July Mass Uprising offering a chance for national unity.

Speaking at a discussion and reception, he said politics can never be beautiful or meaningful without honesty, integrity and a genuine desire to fulfill people's dreams.

"We are becoming disheartened. After such a major uprising, a great opportunity has emerged to rebuild and beautify our country. But as we look around, we see our politicians losing unity. Many are drifting away, and a sense of disunity is spreading all around. Naturally, this makes many of us feel deeply disappointed," the BNP leader said.

Fakhrul said he did not want to burden the youth with despair by describing the gloomy political scenario but rather wanted to see a new dawn of hope rise before them. 

"You must always dream. Without dreams, you cannot move forward. You must have a dream, and you must have the ability to fulfil that dream," he added.

Referring to a poem by Rabindranath Tagore, he urged the young generation not to give up despite the darkness. "Just as the poet calls on the bird not to stop flying even when night falls, I say to the youth—rise again, for the future is calling you."

The monthly magazine 'Bishwabidyalay Porikroma' organised the programme at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, to honour students who achieved GPA-5 in this year's SSC examination.

Later, Fakhrul handed over crests and certificates to the meritorious students.

Encouraging the younger generation to prepare themselves for global competition, he lamented that Bangladesh's education system fails to equip students with the necessary skills. "Our education system is of very low standard. The politicians and the bureaucracy are to blame for that," he said.

The BNP leader criticised the lack of emphasis on technical and vocational education, saying the country could have benefited greatly if such systems had been prioritised.

"Students complete their BA or MA degrees—whether from Chandpur or my home district Thakurgaon—and then roam around without jobs because those degrees don't ensure employment. But if they had earned a BSc or a diploma from a polytechnic institute—in electricity, civil engineering, or similar technical fields—they would have no difficulty finding work. This failure in policy is the failure of our politicians," he said.

Fakhrul stressed the need for a complete overhaul of the education system. 

"Our teachers are protesting on the streets for salaries. This could have been avoided if we had restructured the system—keeping higher education only for the most meritorious students and introducing vocational and technical training for the majority. That would have benefited the country the most," he said.

He also lamented the lack of investment in technical and vocational institutions, saying technical education must be prioritised to create employment opportunities for the young generation.

Fakhrul described the present time as a 'transitional period' marked by uncertainty and called for empowering Generation Z to lead the nation forward.

"We are now going through a transitional phase—a period of instability. There's a huge gap between the thinking of Gen Z and ours. It's natural because of the generational difference. Now, these young people can access the whole world through a small mobile phone. Many of them know far more than we do—and we must recognise that," he said.

 The BNP leader, however, said this knowledge and connectivity must be used for constructive purposes—for the welfare of humanity, not for destruction. "If we all work together to build a better and more peaceful world, we can truly move forward beautifully."

Stating that many young people may have a negative attitude towards politicians, Fakhrul said political leaders play a decisive role in shaping a nation's destiny.

"A politician can lead a nation to great heights—or drag it down. That is the nature of political leadership. If beauty cannot be brought into politics, if honesty cannot be infused into it, if we fail to create a sense of purpose and dream, then politics becomes self-serving—only for wealth and personal gain," Fakhrul said. "Such politics can earn nothing but the people's hatred," he observed.