People won't spare us if we follow AL's path: Fakhrul to BNP followers

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today (29 April) warned his party leaders and activists against indulging in misdeeds, saying the country's people will not spare BNP either if it follows the path of the deposed Awami League.

"Our leaders and activists must not behave like those of the Awami League. If they do, people will not love them," he said while speaking at a programme at the field of Molani High School in Chilarrang union under Thakurgaon Sadar upazila.

The BNP leader also asked the senior leaders of all district units to remain alert about their party colleagues and take action against wrongdoers.

"Take stern action or hand them over to the police if any BNP leader or activist is found involved in wrongdoing. Stop indulging in misdeeds. Otherwise, like the Awami League, BNP too will be thrown out by people," he said.

Fakhrul said under what he called the "autocratic" rule of Hasina, BNP leaders, activists and ordinary people faced harsh repression.

He said there were incidents of enforced disappearances, killings, fabricated cases, looting, money laundering, suppression of freedom of speech and vote rigging during the Awami League regime.

"Our leaders and activists were abducted, millions of them faced false cases, and many could not even stay in their homes. But we did not flee. We faced the false cases through legal means, hired lawyers and secured bail," the BNP leader said.

"Why are you [Sheikh Hasina] in hiding? Why don't you face the cases? Why don't you return to the country and stand before the people?" he said.

Fakhrul mentioned that he himself faced 111 cases and went to jail 11 times under the fascist Awami League government.

"Khaleda Zia spent six years in jail. People from nearly every district were implicated in false cases. But we stayed in the country, we did not run away—we fought the cases legally," he said.

Pointing at the crowd, the BNP leader said many believe Sheikh Hasina may return to the country. "She ruled the country for 15 years. Her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a famous figure. She had no reason to flee the country. So why did she escape? Because she was a witch and the extent of her repression on people forced her to flee. Had the people found her then, they would have torn her apart."

Stating that BNP will not have to do anything if Hasina returns to do politics in this country, he said people themselves will not spare her.

Fakhrul also questioned the role of the former Awami League MP in his constituency, claiming no development was carried out in the area because locals supported BNP.

"There are many such areas where people were deprived because of their support for the BNP. Are such individuals fit to be public representatives?" he said.

Calling on people to unite, he said, "Let us build a country based on love and unity."