Rise of Jamaat due to Awami League repression: Mirza Fakhrul

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has remarked that the rise of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami occurred as a result of repression by the Bangladesh Awami League against opposition parties over the past 15 years.

He made the comment while speaking with journalists at his residence in the Kalibari area of Thakurgaon on Friday morning.

Responding to a question from reporters about Jamaat’s rise, the BNP secretary general said that it was the outcome of prolonged authoritarian rule.

“This is a science, a part of political science,” he said. “Whenever democracy is suppressed and people’s voices are silenced, extremist forces begin to emerge, and that is what has happened in this country. Whatever rise Jamaat has seen today is because of the Awami League. Their repressive governance, preventing opposition parties from carrying out activities and from participating in elections, led to this situation.”

He added that he was confident the people of Bangladesh had already rejected Jamaat.

“The BNP has secured an absolute majority. Through fair, honest, and people-oriented politics, the public will once again be able to resist such tendencies,” he said, describing the outcome as a “landslide victory” resulting from public acceptance of the party’s reform pledges and commitments.

Speaking about the formation of a national government, Mirza Fakhrul said, “We always remain committed to our pledges. We had said that those who joined the simultaneous movement alongside the BNP against fascism and contested the election with us — we will, Insha’Allah, form the government together with them.”

Asked about implementing the July Charter, he said, “We will prioritise the parts of the charter that we signed. Our 31-point agenda will be implemented step by step.”

Speaking on Jamaat’s comparatively higher number of seats in the Rangpur division, he said there were multiple reasons behind it.

He noted that Jamaat had not won a single seat in the greater Dinajpur region, comprising three districts and 11 constituencies, all of which were won by the BNP.

“We are hopeful that if we engage with the people and work politically and organisationally, we will certainly be able to overcome this trend,” he said.

District BNP general secretary Paigam Ali, former vice-president Abu Taher, pourashava BNP president Shariful Islam, and leaders and activists from various levels were present at the time.