Fakhrul: BNP does not endorse all govt actions but wants its success

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir says his party wants government to successfully hold elections, expressing BNP's willingness to cooperate rather than see it faiBNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said although his party does not endorse all of the government's actions, it also did not wish for its failure.

Fakhrul made the statement during a rally organized by the Dhaka district BNP at the Jatrabari field in Dhamrai, where he attended as the chief guest, on Monday.The rally was convened in response to public concerns, including stabilizing the prices of essential commodities, improving the deteriorating law and order situation, announcing an electoral roadmap for a swift transition to democracy and countering alleged conspiracies of state fascism.

The BNP leader emphasized that they want the government to successfully hold the election and expressed their willingness to cooperate rather than see it fail, Addressing the gathering, Fakhrul said: “People take to the streets for any issue nowadays, but that is not a responsible approach. Be patient. A fascist regime has been removed. A new government is in place. While we do not support all of its actions, we do not want it to fail either. We want this government to successfully conduct the election. We have said this from the beginning and have extended our cooperation accordingly.”He further said: “We have reviewed the proposed reforms and engaged in discussions with them.

 Everyone must remember that this opportunity we have received should not be wasted. Our adversaries are setting traps to provoke us, to incite us into disrupting law and order. But we must not take the law into our own hands. Instead, we must work together to lead the country towards a fair election, ensuring that the people can elect their representatives.”Criticizing the former Awami League government and Sheikh Hasina, Fakhrul said: “The fascist Awami League regime had a well-orchestrated plan to eliminate political opposition in this country, ensuring that only their party remained in power. They systematically destroyed all state institutions, including the electoral system.People were not allowed to vote or even approach polling stations. In 2014, there was no real election—154 candidates were declared elected unopposed. The polling centers were deserted, with only stray dogs wandering around. At that time, Shafiul Alam Pradhan called it a ‘dog-marked election.'”

He continued: “In 2018, Sheikh Hasina personally engaged with us, made promises, and assured us of a fair election. In the interest of democracy, we participated. But what did we witness? Our candidates were arrested beforehand. They were not allowed to campaign. Ballots were stamped the night before. It was a midnight election. Then... another sham election was conducted, where Awami League candidates faced off against their own party members. It was a mockery of democracy.”