We fear more such incidents may occur: Mirza Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that at a time when people of the country are dreaming of building a democratic Bangladesh through elections, enemies of the nation have once again resorted to killings.

He said there was an attempted murder the day before yesterday and that they fear more such incidents may occur. “We are concerned that more incidents like this could take place,” Mirza Fakhrul said.

He made the remarks on Sunday morning while speaking to journalists after laying wreaths at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Mirpur, marking Martyred Intellectuals Day. On the occasion, BNP leaders paid tribute at the memorial.

The BNP secretary general said that on 14 December, 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces, in collusion with their collaborators, abducted and killed university teachers, physicians, engineers, researchers, poets, writers and journalists, among others. The nation lost its finest sons on that day.

Describing the killings of intellectuals as a planned massacre, Mirza Fakhrul said the objective was to render Bangladesh intellectually crippled. He added that the nation would repeatedly remember its finest sons on this day and continue to move forward with the spirit of the Liberation War.

Mirza Fakhrul said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is seriously ill. Representing her and the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, BNP leaders visited the memorial to pay their respects.

He said they pledged to protect the country’s independence and sovereignty at any cost and to carry forward the democratic journey.