BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that the interim government is failing to maintain neutrality in certain matters.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), in an interview, I said if the interim government can’t remain impartial, a neutral government will be required during the election. There is a reason for making this statement. We observe that the interim government is unable to maintain neutrality on several issues,” he said while addressing a discussion on Thursday.
He urged the interim government to carry out its responsibilities impartially and address the problems the country is currently facing.
The Shaheed Asad Parishad organised the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club to mark the 56th martyrdom anniversary of student leader Asaduzzaman Asad, who became a symbol of resistance during the mass uprising against the then Pakistani autocratic ruler Ayub Khan in 1969.
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On January 20, 1969, Asad, a hero of the 1969 mass upsurge, was shot and killed by the Pakistani police during a protest rally near Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) against the atrocities inflicted on the people of East Pakistan.
Fakhrul said the government should arrange the election as soon as possible after carrying out the necessary minimum reforms related to the election.
“The government formed through that election will be responsible for fully implementing the commitments to the reforms and working to meet the public’s aspirations. We can’t allow the blood of Asad and Abu Sayed to be in vain. For this reason, we must unite and realise their (martyrs’) dreams. Let this be our pledge today,” he said.
Fakhrul said countless people, including Asad in 1969 and Abu Sayed and many others in 2024, sacrificed their lives to establish a truly democratic state. “If we want to make this truly meaningful, what is needed is for us to unite on the minimum (reform) issues.”
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He said BNP and other parties that have carried out a movement together against the fascist regime have placed a 31-point reform outline. “If any changes or additions are needed, they can come to the forefront and we should move forward with them.”
The BNP leader claimed that his party is seeking the election not merely to gain power, but because he fears that evil forces may exploit the situation if the election is unnecessarily delayed. “From our experience, we know that if such an election is not held quickly and time is wasted, other forces begin to raise their heads. In that case, the people's demands will be completely ignored.”
He said some people criticise him for advocating the prompt holding of the next national election. “The reason I say this, and have tried to say it repeatedly, is that we believe the people, who have been deprived of elections for 15 years, will have the opportunity to elect their representatives through the polls.”
The BNP leader said he has been repeatedly saying that who comes to power is not significant, but the establishment of people's rights is crucial. Those who have fought for 15 years to ensure the rights of the people have high expectations from the current interim government, he added.
"Naturally, after a student-led mass uprising, people's expectations have risen significantly. But sadly, the truth is that, given the current state of society, we still do not see any efforts to ensure that the expectations of the people of the country will be fulfilled," Fakhrul said.
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He also said all political parties agree on the necessity of holding elections, as it is the gateway to the democratic system.
The BNP leader said some people are arguing that the government should hold the election only after all reforms. “But should we wait four to five years or until the reforms are completed? People would be deprived of their voting rights for such a prolonged period,” he said.
He alleged that the bureaucracy still operates in the same way as it did before, with no changes in the administration from the Secretariat to other government offices while education in universities has almost come to a halt, schools and colleges are not functioning properly and the healthcare system is on the verge of collapse.
"That is why we have said that the election needs to be held quickly. The party that comes to power will definitely be responsible for fulfilling the political commitments to the people," Fakhrul said.