Forming political parties with government privileges won’t be accepted: Mirza Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has issued a stern warning, stating that while any political party formation will be welcomed, taking advantage of government privileges to form such parties will not be tolerated. 

He shared his thoughts at a gathering in the capital, Dhaka, on Wednesday, February 19, addressing a program organized by Dhaka Metropolitan Chhatra Dal, which involved distributing membership forms and renewing student wing memberships.

During the event at Krishibid Institution auditorium, Fakhrul stressed, “We welcome any political party that is formed. We’ve already welcomed the newly formed student organization and will continue to do so when political parties are formed in the future. But that does not mean you can sit in the government, use its privileges, and create your party. That will never be accepted.”

He directly addressed the interim government and its leader, urging immediate action, saying, "Take steps immediately in these matters, or you will lose the trust people still have in you."

The BNP leader expressed concerns over the current political environment, emphasizing that the people of Bangladesh want to return to a democratic atmosphere as quickly as possible. 

He pointed out, "Seven months have passed, and yet, we haven‍‍`t moved closer to that goal."

He also discussed the interim government’s efforts, stating, "The interim government is trying to complete some tasks and move towards holding elections. But doubts have emerged among the people about their sincerity regarding these elections."

Fakhrul explained why these doubts have surfaced. 

"Yesterday, you saw the news where a local government advisor stated that if any of the fascists apologize, they would be allowed to participate in the elections. Would you accept that? This shows that they are trying to give space to those fascists for their own benefit."

In his speech, he expressed his disbelief, saying, “Many might not have noticed the advisor’s statement, but this indicates that they are planning to consolidate their power while remaining in the government by using such tactics. We won’t allow that, and the people of this country won’t either.”

Fakhrul also recalled his earlier statement on the need for a neutral government if the current interim government fails to remain impartial. 

“When I said that another neutral government would be necessary if anyone in the interim government loses their neutrality, it is now clear why I made that comment. At that time, they accused me of referring to the events of 1/11. But we were the victims of 1/11, and those who orchestrated it couldn’t survive among the people.”

He issued a final warning, saying, "I want to say clearly once again—if anyone is thinking about 1/11 again, if anyone tries to take the country towards one-party or fascist rule, the people will never accept that."

In his speech, Fakhrul highlighted the crucial role of student politics in shaping Bangladesh’s political landscape and nation-building.

“Student politics has always played a significant role in our country’s politics and development."

He gave special recognition to Chhatra Dal’s role in the movement, saying, “The contribution of Chhatra Dal to this movement will be written in golden letters. When we started this movement 15 years ago, Chhatra Dal has been actively participating. It wasn’t just in 36 days that the fascist regime was removed. It took 15 years of movement, sacrifice, and blood to force the fascist to step down. Without a doubt, the last 36 days were critical, and our boys made significant contributions. Based on our records, 2,000 boys have been martyred, 800 of whom were from Chhatra Dal. In my district, Thakurgaon, 9 boys were martyred, 7 of them from Chhatra Dal.”

Responding to criticisms that Chhatra Dal or the BNP didn’t have a significant role, Fakhrul said, “Those who claim Chhatra Dal or BNP had no part in the movement need to gather accurate information before speaking.”

Fakhrul concluded his speech by saying, “We are living in a very critical time. We are prepared to transition from a dreadful fascist regime to a democratic system.”