Attempts being made to divide people ‘in the name of religion’, says BNP’s Mirza Fakhrul

“We don’t believe in creating division in the country or society based on religion,” says the BNP secretary general

A certain group has been "creating divisions in the name of religion in the country,” says BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He made the remark at a discussion on Sunday morning.

He said, ‘‘Today, an attempt is being made to create a major division in Bangladesh... A group, a faction, wants to create a division in Bangladesh in the name of religion. Of course, people in Bangladesh are pious and everyone here follows their religion.”

‘‘But we don’t believe in creating division in the country or society based on religion. We believe that people from all religious communities will live together and in the same way in Bangladesh. And the war of independence in 1971 was based on the idea of a Bangladesh that belongs to everyone.”

‘BANGLADESH COMES FIRST’

Mirza Fakhrul said, "The slogan given by our leader today is very important. It is equally important in the national and international arenas, 'Shobar agey Bangladesh’ (Bangladesh comes first). We need to memorise this. We have to move forward with this idea. "

‘‘I hope that today we will remove all obstacles, defeat them, and overcome all evil attempts, taking the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) forward. And this Chhatra Dal will be the vanguard or forefront soldiers in it.”

The event has been organised by BNP as part of its “Nation Building Planning Programme”, at the Krishibid Institution Auditorium in Farmgate. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will address the event in the evening.

‘WE MOVE FORWARD UNDER TARIQUE’S LEADERSHIP’

Fakhrul said, "We must move Bangladesh forward and bring progress to the people by implementing the plans of our Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. BNP is the party that has conducted all reforms in the past, did all necessary political and economic reforms to propel Bangladesh forward."

‘‘In this way, we believe that BNP will lead the country under Tarique Rahman and make it a prosperous country in future."

'BNP HAS ALWAYS CREATED OPPORTUNITY'

Fakhrul said, "Our leader Begum Khaleda Zia brought the change of governance from the presidential form of government to parliamentary form of government. She is the first one who introduced free education for girls up to Grade 10. Therefore, today, girls have been able to achieve so much. Our finance minister Saifur Rahman was there. He introduced the VAT-(Value added tax) for revenue collection. At the time he drew flak, but now it has proven the best process for revenue collection.”

‘‘What I am trying to say is that the BNP opened the windows, the paths, it created avenues… this is the BNP’s contribution. We can say strongly that whatever Bangladesh has achieved today, was done by the BNP.”

‘CONSPIRACY, PROPAGANDA GOING ON’

The BNP secretary general said, "After 15 years of fascist rule, we now have an opportunity to return to democracy. Many obstacles are coming. But we have to overcome them and achieve success."

"Today, different conspiracies, campaigns, and propaganda are being conducted against us. A major propaganda effort is ongoing. We have to work against this propaganda as well. I always say, if we can't be warriors in the cyber war, we will be defeated... the young generation must do it.""