Those who want people to forget 1971 never believe in Bangladesh: Mirza Fakhrul

"I always say one thing: those who want people to forget 1971, or make them forget it, actually never believe in Bangladesh. Because if we are to believe in Bangladesh, we must keep 1971 at the forefront. We will move forward with that," Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made these remarks while addressing a discussion with leaders of the Hindu community as the chief guest today, Friday, at the Institution of Diploma Engineers auditorium in Kakrail, Dhaka.

The discussion and representatives' conference, titled "Ensuring the Protection and Security of Minorities," was organised by the Sammilita Sanatan Parishad.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that keeping 1971 at the forefront does not mean pushing the July mass uprising of 2024 into the background. Rather, along with 1971, July must also be remembered.

He said, "We cannot deny July either. Countless of our sons sacrificed their lives to establish democracy in Bangladesh. They forced a fascist government to leave the country."

The BNP secretary general further said the party does not regard either 1971 or 2024 as less important than the other.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that a certain group is deliberately trying to push the country towards division in the name of religion.

He said those attempting to divide the country in the name of religion must be resisted.

"We cannot allow extremism here. We cannot allow fundamentalism. We want to build a liberal, democratic Bangladesh," he stated.

Warning those who seek to create division in the name of religion, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called for resisting extremism and fundamentalism. He said people of all faiths enjoy equal rights in Bangladesh. The BNP does not regard anyone as a "minority," he said, urging followers of the Sanatan faith to remain vocal in asserting their rights.

Thanking members of the Sanatan community for supporting the BNP in the last parliamentary election, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the party and the future government would sincerely work to address their various problems.

He requested representatives of the Hindu community to maintain communication and dialogue with the BNP.

The event was inaugurated by Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury. He said minority votes had played an important role in bringing the BNP to power this time. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also remembers that support with gratitude, he said.

The government considers all citizens equal. Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and people of any faith will enjoy equal rights. The BNP government is committed to protecting those rights, he added.

Prime Minister's Special Assistant Bijon Kanti Sarkar stressed the importance of presenting impartial and accurate information without bias when analysing any situation.

He said political and social contexts should be assessed not only by looking at the past year or two but by considering the entire historical background.

Speakers at the event said that when crimes occur, they should not be viewed solely as attacks on a particular community but assessed in the context of the overall situation.

They also noted that discrepancies in data provided by different organisations create difficulties for the government in making decisions. They therefore called for the publication of unified and accurate information to avoid confusion.

Sammilita Sanatan Parishad General Secretary Pradip Kumar Acharya moderated the event with its President Professor Hirendranath Biswas in the chair.

Among others, Mymensingh-8 lawmaker Lutfullahel Majed, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office ABM Abdus Sattar, Hindu Religious Welfare Trust Vice Chairman Tapan Chandra Majumdar and senior lawyer Subrata Chowdhury also addressed the meeting.

Ashok Taru Saha, representing 46 organisations of minority communities, presented the keynote address.

He alleged that attacks on the Hindu community had recently increased to a level higher than at any other time. He urged the government to immediately play a stronger role in protecting the rights of minority communities.

During the discussion, the Sammilita Sanatan Parishad placed several demands before the government. These included establishing a Ministry of Minority Affairs and a National Minority Commission, ensuring justice for attacks and persecution against minority communities, granting appropriate government holidays for Hindu religious festivals, allocating government land and providing necessary support to the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust, and upgrading the trust into a foundation.