Movement will continue to restore democracy, says Fakhrul after release from jail
The BNP leader claimed that the government was affected by holding a lopsided election on 7 January
The people of Bangladesh will continue their peaceful movement for the restoration of democracy and the right to vote until the victory, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said soon after walking out of jail today (15 February).
"We will continue our peaceful movement until we achieve victory for the people," he told reporters at the jail gate this afternoon.
The BNP leader claimed that the government was affected by holding a lopsided election on 7 January.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"Neither has BNP suffered any loss nor has the movement. We will continue the movement to restore the right to vote," he said.
Fakhrul said the people of Bangladesh have always struggled and fought for democracy and for their right to vote. "Inshallah they [people] will win this struggle."
Earlier, Mirza Fakhrul and the party's Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury were freed from jail on bail after nearly three and a half months of their arrest before the 12th parliamentary election.
They walked out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj around 3:35pm after the bail order reached the jail authorities, said media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan.
BNP leaders and activists and the relatives of the two top leaders of the party received the duo at the jail gate.
Both Fakhrul and Khasru exchanged greetings with the party leaders and workers at the jail gate by waving their hands.
At the jail gate, Amir Khasru said the ruling Awami League has usurped power using the state machinery, but the people of Bangladesh have rejected them.
"They have been morally defeated by the people in the election," he said.
Mentioning that the movement for the restoration of democracy will continue, Khasru said, "This will continue until we get back democracy and a government elected by people."
The BNP leader said the people of Bangladesh have given a verdict in favour of democracy by boycotting the 12th parliamentary election.
Accusing the government of jailing BNP leaders and activists ahead of the election, he claimed that the morale of all pro-democratic parties, including BNP, is strong enough to carry out the anti-government movement on the streets.
Earlier on Thursday, a Dhaka court granted bail to both Fakhrul and Khasru in connection with a case filed over the vandalism of the chief justice's residence during a BNP rally on 28 October last year.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judges Court's acting judge, Faisal Atiq Bin Quader, approved the bail upon reviewing their petitions.
The case was filed by the police on October 29, accusing 59 BNP leaders and activists, including Fakhrul and Khasru.
In total, 11 cases were filed against Fakhrul and 10 against Khasru related to the violence during the rally. Fakhrul was detained on 29 October, and Khasru on 3 November, both from their residences in Gulshan. After a long legal battle, they secured bail from the court in all the cases filed against them, paving the way for their release.
