Fakhrul says Tarique Rahman will be made BNP chief in ‘a day or two’

Tarique Rahman will be appointed the chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in “a day or two”, senior leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said.

Speaking in Sylhet on Sunday, Fakhrul said the position of chairperson Khaleda Zia “must be filled”.

“Right now [Tarique] is the acting chairman, but I think within two or three days we will be able to make him the chairman, because our leader and chairperson Khaleda Zia has left us,” Fakhrul said.

Fakhrul said the party expects Tarique to begin electioneering from Sylhet, following the tradition set by Khaleda Zia.

Expressing optimism about the election, Fakhrul said the polls are crucial for the nation as people have long been deprived of their voting rights.

He said although the media is expressing concerns about the election, the BNP does not see any risks.

“The BNP has demanded elections from the very beginning. The election process is moving forward and, with everyone’s cooperation, the commission will be able to hold it,” he added.

Describing the election as extremely important, Fakhrul said democracy requires the formation of parliament through elections, followed by the establishment of a parliamentary government to ensure good governance and democratic order.

He claims that over the past 15 to 16 years, around 6 million BNP leaders and activists have faced false cases, about 20,000 have been killed, and some 1,500, including Sylhet leader Ilias Ali, have been forcibly disappeared.

He reiterates that if the BNP comes to power, it will form a national government with its political partners, though it will not be an all-party government.

On “mob violence”, Fakhrul said a new culture of “mobocracy” has emerged since the interim government took office, warning that it destroys democracy and must be addressed.

Earlier, Fakhrul arrived in Sylhet on a one-day private visit and offered prayers at the shrines of Shahjalal and Shah Paran.