BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that the BNP represents liberal democratic politics. He said, 'BNP is a party of liberal democracy. We believe in liberal democracy and aim to establish it. We do not want to create any division here.'
Mirza Fakhrul made these comments at a discussion titled 'Ziaur Rahman's Independent Non-Aligned Diplomacy in the Current Context' held at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) in the capital on Thursday. The event was organized to commemorate the 45th martyrdom anniversary of BNP founder and martyred President Ziaur Rahman. An exhibition of newspapers was also held. The event was chaired by Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan.
Mirza Fakhrul mentioned that intellectuals had created hype in the media before the election, claiming that Jamaat-e-Islami was coming to power and would win the most votes, but the people did not make that mistake. People chose BNP over them because BNP is a liberal democratic party.
The BNP Secretary General said they want to establish the reason for which Bangladesh was created. This is why Prime Minister Tareq Rahman's slogan is 'Bangladesh First'. Similarly, martyred President Ziaur Rahman chose the song 'First Bangladesh, My Last Bangladesh'.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam said as an organizer, he was involved in the liberation war and witnessed the atrocities of the Pakistani forces. He cannot forgive them and cannot compare the 1971 war with anything else.
At the event, Mirza Fakhrul reminisced about Ziaur Rahman, calling him a patriotic person. He criticized the Awami League for mocking Ziaur Rahman as an 'unknown major', yet it was this 'unknown major' who declared rebellion against Pakistan from Chittagong.
Mirza Fakhrul said Ziaur Rahman's greatest achievement was giving the people of this land a sense of identity and recognition that 'we are different'.
The BNP Secretary General also expressed hope that Prime Minister Tareq Rahman's various programs, speeches, and actions reflect Ziaur Rahman's legacy.
The discussion was attended by special guest economist Mustafa Khan. The chief speaker was Major General (Retd.) ANM Muniruzzaman, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies. The discussants were Abu Rushd, Editor of the Bangladesh Defense Journal, and Shafiqur Rahman, Executive Director of Brain. The discussion was moderated by PIB Director General Faruq Wasif.
