Can't we even say anything to Myanmar, asks Mirza Fakhrul

Referring to the opening of fire from the Myanmar border on a vessel along the Teknaf-Saint Martin sea route, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, "Can't we even say anything to a country like Myanmar?"

What a subservient, slavish mentality this is, he said adding people are being killed along the border, water is held back, but the government does not utter a word.

The BNP secretary general was speaking today, Saturday, at a discussion on Black Day for Press, at the National Press Club in the capital. The event was organised by Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and a faction of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ).

Speaking as chief guest on the occasion, Mirza Fakhrul said that China is leaning towards countries where autocracy rules. Autocracy is increasing all around the world.

The BNP secretary general said, it is Black Day every day now for the entire nation. The present government, when it came to power in 1996, immediately suppressed freedom of press. It has consciously made the country dependent. Expressing gratitude towards the journalists who worked fearlessly, Fakhrul said, it was the journalists who brought to light the issues of Benazir, Aziz and Anar.

The BNP secretary general went on to say, can one imagine that the army chief will commit fraud, that the police chief will commit robbery and build up an empire in the country?

Mirza Fakhrul said he had listened to some quotations of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman aired before the news. He said that Bangabandhu had said that there was no place on this soil for those who plundered the country and send the wealth overseas. He said, "Have those who are in power now ever heard these words?"

Mirza Fakhrul said, "In India many are carrying out a revolution through social media. We can do this too. I am not saying this has to be done from here. Those who are outside of the country can do it. In the country there is the digital security act or such laws like that, and there is the matter of enforced disappearance."

This senior BNP leader went on to say, "We have brought everyone in the political arena, left and right, to one place. If the journalists too come to one platform, then democracy can be restored in the country."

Secretary general of one faction of BFUJ Kader Ghani Chowdhury read out the concept paper at the event. Speaking at the event, Naya Diganta editor Alamgir Mohiuddun said, before when a journalist would speak, it would be given importance. There was a lot of respect. That respect is almost lost now. Everyone must remain together."

BFUJ president Ruhul Amin Gazi said, before everyone would observe Black Day on one day. Now many want to call this White Day. It's a one-party parliament. The situation is the same as it was in 1975. It is 16 June every day now. Justice, freedom of the press, democracy, all seem like a dream now.

Also speaking at the meeting were National Press Club's former general secretary Ilyas Khan, Syed Abdal Ahmed, journalist Abdul Hai Sikder and others.