We want elections by February: Mirza Fakhrul

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that the people of Bangladesh want the country to be run under an elected government.

“Our chief adviser has already announced that elections will be held in February… and that is the election we want. The people want it too,” he stated.

He made the remarks on Friday afternoon while addressing a rally at Rabindra Sarani in the capital’s Uttara, organised by BNP’s Dhaka North City unit in memory of those killed during the 2024 mass uprising.

Pointing out why elections are needed, Fakhrul said, “If I face any problem now, I have nowhere to go. Who do I turn to? There are no MPs. Is there anyone? Who will raise my voice in parliament? There’s no one. That’s why we urgently need elections, we need a parliament where we can voice our concerns.”

Referring to the end of what he called a “brutal autocracy”, the BNP leader added, “The liberation will be complete only when those who looted the banks and extorted people are eradicated politically. We cannot compromise with them. They must not be allowed to return to power under any circumstances.”

“Once again the Awami League will come to power, along with other parties, and plunder the nation - we won’t allow this any longer. We want democracy. And what is democracy? It’s where ordinary people can express their opinions and vote to elect their representatives. Those representatives will run the country. No more elections where votes are cast at night, no more dummy votes, no more MPs being selected by Hasina’s whims, no more billions siphoned abroad or banks being looted. We want to see an end to this.”

Addressing concerns over the interim government, Fakhrul said, “Many people criticise them—they have made mistakes, they lack experience. We had hoped they would, within a year, compile a proper list of the martyrs and ensure their rehabilitation. Sadly, they haven’t done all of it. But they are trying. Only yesterday, the final round of reform talks concluded. We hope to receive the complete report in a few days.”

Referring to reduced US tariffs, he said, “There’s some good news: the US had imposed a 35 per cent tariff on our exports. The interim government and advisers have managed to reduce it to 20 per cent. We thank them for that.”

Mirza Fakhrul continued, “Mugdha’s father and Jafar’s mother are here today. They lost their children in the anti-autocracy movement a year ago. And it wasn’t just one or two—we’ve lost hundreds a year ago, and even more in the last 15 years. Jafar’s mother told us he was an excellent student, who dreamt of becoming an engineer. Mugdha was serving water to protesters. He kept asking, ‘Do you need water? Does anyone need water?’ Don’t forget these stories so quickly.”

Addressing the party activists, the BNP secretary general said, “Don’t forget their sacrifices just within a year. They sacrificed their lives for us, for the country, for a better future. Remember them sincerely. Unless this realisation comes from within—unless you feel it—nothing will change. No matter how many slogans you chant, how many posters you hang, it won’t make a difference. You must truly want to change the country. You must hate tyranny. Ensure that Hasina can never return, that she can never again have our children killed.”

He also noted that the public is tired of mere slogans and applause: “Slogans and clapping are old habits—people don’t care about those anymore. It’s disheartening to see ongoing unrest in the country, even after so much sacrifice by our young people and working-class citizens. We had hoped—and we still hope—to build a beautiful Bangladesh together. But we have to work together for that. That is why I say: just clapping, carrying posters, or chanting a leader’s name isn’t enough.”

In his speech, Dhaka North City BNP convener Aminul Haque said, “Through the people’s uprising, we’ve rid ourselves of a dictatorship—Sheikh Hasina is gone. But we are not yet fully free of authoritarianism. We are on the threshold of democracy but have yet to fully establish it.”

He also warned, “THe interim government we, the people of this country supported, some new parties and former collaborators have infiltrated that interim government and are trying to revive fascism. But Bangladesh comes first. The country will be governed according to the people’s will.”

Addressing the event, BNP’s Dhaka North City unit member-secretary Mostafa Zaman said, “Our party is being harmed because of some of our activists. In some of our local areas—like Uttara West and Turag—a few individuals have repeatedly been arrested by the army, only to be released and then arrested again. Some of our so-called godfathers are working to get them released again. Stay aware: anyone who tarnishes the image of BNP—whether he’s a party member or a leader—will not be spared.”

Mugdha’s father, Mir Mostafizur Rahman, and Jafar’s mother also spoke at the rally.

Leaders from various BNP-affiliated wings—Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, Chhatra Dal, and Sramik Dal—were present.

The rally was held on a temporary truck-stage erected on Rabindra Sarani in Uttara.

The southbound lane was fully blocked, and the northbound lane also became inaccessible due to the large crowd.

The gathering caused inconvenience to patients and relatives at Crescent Hospital’s maternity and paediatric unit, located directly behind the rally stage.