422 BNP men killed in July-August massacre: Fakhrul

At least 422 of the martyrs of the July-August massacre were affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He made the disclosure at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s political office in the capital’s Gulshan area around 11:30 am on Sunday.

They verified the martyred BNP men's identities and addresses and are preparing to publish the list on the official website.

Speaking on the occasion, Mirza Fakhrul Islam said, citing different reports, that a total of 875 people had been martyred across the country in the July-August massacre. At least 422 of them were involved in politics of the BNP.

He further noted that it is not an isolated incident that a majority of the martyrs were leaders and activists of the BNP. Rather, it is an inevitable result of their long political struggle.

Going beyond the student-led uprising, the BNP leader recalled that a total of 1,551 BNP men were martyred during the Awami League regime until 2023, while 423 were subjected to enforced disappearance. And the number of enforced disappearance victims is nearly 700 if all political parties are taken into account.

During the same period, a total of six million BNP leaders and activists were implicated in 150,000 cases, he noted, adding it is a reflection of the party’s unwavering fight and contribution for the country’s second liberation.

Apart from Mirza Fakhrul, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Abdul Moyeen Khan, and Salahuddin Ahmed were present at the press conference.