We want to rebuild country destroyed by fascist AL: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today (20 October) said BNP wants to rebuild the country destroyed by the fascist Awami League (AL) government over the past 15 years.

"There have been a lot of bloodshed in our country, a lot of division and a lot of mistakes. We now want to move past all that. The fascist Awami government has destroyed everything in Bangladesh, including the economy and political structure over the last 15 years. We want to build a new Bangladesh from those ruins," he said while speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson's office in Ghulsan.

During the event, approximately 50 prominent leaders from the Hindu community, led by Somnath Dey, Kapil Krishna Mondal, and Somen Saha, joined BNP by presenting flowers to the Secretary General. The Secretary General extended Diwali greetings to everyone.

"Today is Diwali, an auspicious day. On this blessed day, I extend congratulations and best wishes to our Sanatani brothers and sisters, on behalf of myself and the party," he added. 

Emphasising the importance of living together in peace, the BNP leader said, "All of us who live in Bangladesh-Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians-we all want to live together in peace. From this moment, we will be alert and conscious of all your joys and sorrows. We are by your side and will be there with all our strength. You can be assured that from now on, we will always be beside you as your friends."

He also made a humble request to the law enforcement agencies to ensure the security of the minority community.

"Attempts have been made to create much discord and division among us due to various reasons, including communal issues, geopolitics and political conspiracies. But we have always spoken about uniting all types of people in Bangladesh under the philosophy of Bangladeshi Nationalism," said Fakhrul. 

Calling for the establishment of a non-communal Bangladesh with people of all faiths, he noted, "In 2016, BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia announced a programme called Vision 2030. That is, she presented a proposal on what we want Bangladesh to look like in 2030. Among many proposals, one was that she wished to see Bangladesh as a "rainbow state". Meaning, our dream Bangladesh would have people of all colors."

"That's why BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia said on the night of 5 August, 2024, that we no longer want revenge or vengeance in this country. We want to create a politics of unity by winning people over with love," he added. 

Referring to the current political bargaining, Fakhrul said, "Political parties are saying different things now. Our common interests have come to the fore, and that's why we are now doing a lot of bargaining."

Paying tribute to all the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War and the July Uprising, he said, "I pay my respects to all those brothers and sisters of ours who were injured, became disabled, who lost their eyesight in July uprising. And I pay tribute to the heroic martyrs of 1971 who sacrificed their lives in the War of Independence."