Move away from 'mob violence' to establish democracy: Fakhrul
Fakhrul said, “If we want to build a sustainable system and avoid becoming a failed state, democracy must be practiced genuinely. Democratic institutions must be constructed and strengthened.”
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that true democracy cannot be established in Bangladesh unless the nation moves away from "mob violence" and learns to tolerate opposing views.
He made the remarks today (19 November) at a discussion held at Hotel Lakeshore in Gulshan, marking the publication of the compiled volume 'Chobbisher gono obbhuthan (BNP in 24's Mass Uprising)'. Earlier at the event, a documentary on the mass uprising was screened.
Fakhrul said, "The foremost principle of democracy is the ability to tolerate others' opinions. If I speak but cannot tolerate your words, if I beat you, create mob violence, gather people and say 'break it, destroy it, beat him to death' this is not democracy."
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He added, "The essence of democracy is, I may not agree with you, but I will defend your right to express your opinion, even with my life. Unfortunately, we do not want to tolerate others' views here, we want to eliminate them. We must move away from this mindset."
The BNP leader said, "If we want to build a sustainable system and avoid becoming a failed state, democracy must be practiced genuinely. Democratic institutions must be constructed and strengthened."
He also said, "Who wins or loses is not the key issue. What matters is whether democratic institutions are becoming stronger, whether our judiciary is independent, whether our media is independent, whether our parliament is effective, whether the country runs under the rule of law, whether good governance prevails, whether human dignity and rights are protected. These are the issues we must focus on."
Regarding the upcoming election, Mirza Fakhrul said, "The responsibility on BNP is now greater. BNP must build an alliance that has fought for democracy in the past, will fight again, and will institutionalise democracy in the country. This is the alliance we must form."
He noted that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, in her brief statement on 5 August, had said, "Not revenge, not vengeance, let us all work together to establish democracy." Mirza Fakhrul said, "This principle is what we must implement in our political actions."
