Amid a tense situation and speculations over BNP’s Dhaka rally, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said they will hold their programme at Nayapaltan on December 10 as planned earlier. “We must hold the mass rally and we sought to arrange the programme at Nayapaltan. It’s now the responsibility of the government to remove all barriers to holding it in Dhaka peacefully. Otherwise, the government has to bear all the responsibilities (if anything bad happens),” he said. Speaking at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he called upon the government to withdraw the police force from in front of their party’s Nayapaltan central office and create a proper atmosphere there for the rally. BNP took the decision a day after a fierce clash between their party activists and police and the subsequent action by the law enforcers at Nayapaltan on Wednesday that left one killed and over 50 injured. Fakhrul said it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that the rally is held peacefully. He, hover, said they will consider if the government offers a suitable alternative venue. Read More:Fakhrul visits Makbul’s body at DMCH morgue, condoles his family The BNP leader said their party sought permission for holding the rally at Nayapaltan, but police gave permission to hold it at Suhrawardy Udyan, which was in no way acceptable to BNP. He said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner phoned BNP leader Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee to talk about an alternative venue, but he was arrested when he was going to the DMP office. Asked what their party will do if the government does not allow them to use Nayapaltan for the programme, the BNP leader said they will go there on Saturday to hold the rally. “People will determine their course of actions if we’re obstructed.” Replying to another question, he said, “Wait to see by yourselves what will happen in Dhaka since the country's people have started waking up.” The BNP leader said their new action programmes will be announced from the rally to realise their demands, including the resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament and installation of a caretaker government to oversee the next polls. Police action is a manifestation of authoritarianism Fakhrul alleged that police attacked BNP leaders and activists without any provocation. “This heinous and barbaric attack by the police at Nayapaltan was just a manifestation of the fascist authoritarianism of the government. Such a cowardly attack is unimaginable.” He said Wednesday’s police attack on BNP leaders and activists was tantamount to putting the last nail in the coffin of democracy. “Awami League has turned the country into a police state in fear of facing ouster.” Read More: Police kept the bombs in BNP office: Fakhrul The BNP leader urged the government to stay away from the undemocratic path and release the BNP leaders and activists who were arrested on Wednesday from Nayapaltan. A drama over bomb recovery Fakhrul said police unwarrantedly entered the BNP office with bombs in a cement bag after attacking the party leaders and activists on Wednesday. He said police members kept the bombs by themselves at the BNP office and staged a drama over bomb recovery and bomb explosion. “The police claimed that they recovered huge explosives from the BNP office and declared the area a crime scene. It’s a lie,” the BNP leader said. He said even the police exploded bombs before his eyes after barring him from entering the office on Wednesday. “They established a reign of terror by detonating numerous bombs there.” The BNP leader alleged that the Awami League 'cadres’ along with the law enforcers carried out terror acts at Nayapaltan. He also said police vandalised furniture and valuables of the office and took away computers, laptops, hard disks and important documents, including banks’ chequebooks of the party. The BNP leader said the police conducted a drive at the BNP office after arresting all party leaders and activists who were staying there. "As per the law, the owner of the house or an establishment must be present during such a drive by police." AL a terrorist party Fakhrul said the ruling party leaders have long been issuing various threats centring BNP’s December-10 rally. “They said they will guard all the localities and lanes on December 10. Their attitude has exposed that Awami League has now become a terrorist party.” He said Awami League has been running the country by spreading fear among people and resorting to hooliganism as the party does not believe in democracy. The BNP leader also said the government has made a planned blueprint to foil BNP’s rally at Nayapaltan. He said the government has been carrying out various false campaigns against BNP to malign it, but people can understand that Awami League is a party of liars.

Stating that vested quarters sometimes make efforts to create divisions using religion, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said a strong unity of all Bangladeshis is a must to take the country forward and ensure its prosperity. “Communal  violence is almost zero in Bangladesh. That’s  the reality. But there’re some vested quarters who sometimes try to create divisions using the religion,” he said. The BNP leader made the remarks at the funeral of Suddhananda Mahathero, the principal of the Buddhist Monastery in Basabo. He said those who live in the country all are Bangladeshis and they may have different religions and different thoughts. “This is the philosophy of Bangladesh advocated  by  Ziaur Rahman.” Read: New CEC a staunch Awami Leaguer, claims BNP Fakhrul said their party does not do the politics of divisions as it believes that it is possible to unite the entire nation following the philosophy of Bangladesh. “We always do the politics of unity. If Bangladesh is to prosper and take forward, then there must have a strong unity among all Bangladeshis,” he observed.  

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam on Saturday said an ‘extreme level of anarchy’ has been prevailing in all sectors for lack of good governance in the country. “Seventeen files have gone missing from the Health Ministry's Medical Education and Family Welfare Division and a general diary has been filed with Shahbagh Police Station in this connection. This is the condition of the current governing system,” he said. The BNP leader also said, “An extreme level of anarchy has been there not only in the health sector, but also in every sector and everywhere as their (ruling party leaders’) main goal is to make money.” He made the remarks while launching a book on former Dhaka University VC Dr Anwarullah Chowdhury at a city hotel. Fakhrul said when people were dying and passing through a horrible time due to the spread of coronavirus, the ruling party men and government employees were busy making a quick buck taking advantage of the situation. Read: Govt out to clear election field: Fakhrul “Even, a driver of the health directorate DG owns Tk 400 crore. This is the situation created in the country now,” he said. The BNP leader said a Rajshahi University VC appointed 169 people in one night to make money. “It’s very difficult to expect anything good from the current society we’ve built.” He said the government does not give adequate allocation for the development of the education sector as its main intention is to indulge in corruption by taking mega projects. “They make allocations for mega projects from which they can get commission and amass wealth.”

Protesting the decision to remove their party founder Ziaur Rahman’s Bir Uttam gallantry title, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday described the move as a “stigma” to the Liberation War.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam on Sunday described late finance minister M Saifur Rahman as a 'revolutionary reformer' and true patriot as he built the foundation of a vibrant economy of the country.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir voiced concern over people’s sufferings in receiving treatment, saying taking admission to hospitals by coronavirus-infected patients has become a nightmare.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam on Tuesday voiced concern that the government has pushed the country towards a 'dangerous situation' by relaxing the 'lockdown'.