Hasina conspiring against the country while in India, says Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir says that Sheikh Hasina is ‘conspiring against the country while in India’.

His remarks came during a short statement after a prayer service to mark BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s 79th birthday at the party’s headquarters in Naya Paltan on Thursday.

“We have fought for a long time,” Fakhrul said. “But, if you think the fight is over, you will be making a mistake. Things are still very much up in the air.”

“Sheikh Hasina, who is in India, could take advantage of the situation at any moment… she is already conspiring at this very moment. Our work is to resist that conspiracy.”

He asked everyone to pray for the preservation of the image of the BNP created by the party’s leaders.

“Today, on the birthday of our national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, let us all ask Allah to preserve the image of our BNP that was created by our martyred President Ziaur Rahman, by Begum Khaleda Zia, and Tarique Rahman, so that we can keep our image intact and move forward.”

“The BNP has fought for 17 years to build a foundation. Based on that foundation our boys, youths, and students have taken their movement to victory… They have shed their blood… starting from Abu Sayed to many others… about a thousand students have given their lives. Between Aug 3 – 5, many of our Chhatra Dal’s boys gave their lives. When I went to the Pongu Hospital, there were 124 [injured] there. When I made inquiries, I learned that 90 of them were Chhatra Dal boys. But now we cannot create conflict. We must all act as one now.”

Fakhrul says the talk of communalism and the persecution of minority communities was part of the Awami League’s attempts to sow discord.

“Your responsibility is to create peace brigades in each area to stand guard. They will protect the places of worship, temples, and churches of minorities… their businesses and their property. The responsibility of their lives and property are now yours.”

He recalled one of his teachers – Maulana Tamiz Uddin – saying that those in the majority have a sacred duty to protect minorities.

Fakhrul urged the party’s leaders and workers to follow the BNP’s chairperson’s instructions to take the country forward ‘with love’.