BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said there is no scope for holding a public referendum before a national election. He added that the present political crisis has been created by the interim government. Addressing the government, he urged that the public must not be misled by false propaganda.
He made the remarks on Saturday (1 November) at a discussion arranged by the Muktijoddha (Freedom Fighters) Party at the National Press Club.
Mirza Fakhrul said a group is deliberately attempting to distort the history of the Liberation War, but the nation will not allow that to happen. He emphasised that the history of 1971 is the foundation of Bangladesh’s very existence, and that anti-Liberation War forces are still engaged in conspiracies. He recalled that those forces once called the Liberation War “a muddle” — a claim the nation has not forgotten.
He went on, “If elections had been held within three months of the uprising, the malign forces would not have been able to raise their heads.” He stated that BNP’s 31-point reform programme clearly outlines directions for all necessary changes. “We are in favour of reform. Whether proportional representation (PR) will be adopted or not is a decision for a future parliament. But saying ‘there will be no election unless PR is introduced’ is misleading the public,” he added.
The BNP secretary general said that BNP will foil all conspiracies and restore the people’s democratic rights.
Commenting on Sheikh Hasina’s recent interview, Mirza Fakhrul said, “Sheikh Hasina is giving interviews to various media outlets from India. We call on the Indian government to send her back — because she must face the law.”