1971’s dreams now elusive, says Mirza Fakhrul ahead of Independence Day

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said people joined the war against Pakistan army with the aim of building a democratic Bangladesh, but the dreams of 1971 are now elusive.

Bengali students, youth, farmers, labourers and soldiers joined the Liberation War against Pakistan army with the aim of building democratic Bangladesh where people will have freedom of speech and people’s government and for economic emancipation but it’s a matter of sorrow that the 1971’s dreams are now elusive, said Fakhrul.

He said this in a rally of freedom fighters organised by BNP on the occasion of the Independence Day in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

Fakhrul said the ruling Awami League (AL) has established a one-party rule in the country under the cover of democracy.

“They have no constitutional right to rule the people of the country as they formed a government without people’s mandate and by staging one-sided polls on January 7 which was not acceptable to our foreign friends too,” he added.

He claimed that the government is using modern technology to keep an eye on opposition leaders and activists’ daily activities. When people try to stage protests against the ruling party, they use spyware to suppress them.

“The movement against a fascist regime is not easy, but we have been continuing it for 15 years,” he said.

Twenty two leaders and activists of BNP sacrificed their lives in the last two years, he said, adding that thousands of BNP leaders and activists have been imprisoned and have been living an inhumane life in jail.

In his speech, BNP Vice Chairman Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said an autocratic regime is in power in the country where elections have turned into a farce.

The leaders of different associate organisations of BNP also spoke on the occasion.