BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that Ziaur Rahman had united a divided nation through the November 7 revolution.
“The true heroes of the November 7 revolution were the ordinary soldiers and the people,” said Fakhrul.
He emphasized that the revolution created the possibility of rebuilding Bangladesh.
Fakhrul questioned what might have happened to the country if the late President Ziaur Rahman had not stepped forward on that day. He suggested that perhaps Bangladesh could have turned into a failed state, highlighting how Zia's leadership united the nation.
Fakhrul made these remarks on Tuesday as the chief guest at a discussion organized by the Nationalist Women’s Party at the Abdul Salam Hall of the National Press Club, to mark the Revolution and Solidarity Day.
He said that President Ziaur Rahman had united a divided nation and brought hope. Ziaur Rahman established multi-party democracy, freed the media, and initiated the export of manpower and remittance inflow by promoting the garment industry. Zia also revolutionized agriculture with the canal excavation project.
Mirza Fakhrul criticized the ruling Awami League government, accusing them of brutally oppressing the people over the past 15 years and destroying the economy.
He added that more than 6 million party leaders and workers were facing cases, and over 600 BNP leaders, including Elias Ali, had been forcibly disappeared. He further mentioned that during July-August, the government had shot and killed students and children.
Mirza Fakhrul expressed gratitude to God for the success of the student movement, which led to the removal of the autocrat Sheikh Hasina.
He also claimed that Sheikh Hasina had fled, which is a well-known fact. He compared this to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s escape to Pakistan during the 1971 war, where he was arrested and waited to be apprehended.
Fakhrul referred to this information being written in the book of Tazuddin Ahmed's daughter, not just his own statement.
Addressing the party workers, the BNP Secretary General urged them to remain vigilant, stating that while the "monster" has been removed, there is still a need to stay alert and conscious.
The BNP leader emphasized that despite numerous attempts, no one has been able to break the BNP. He stressed that the greatest strength of the BNP is its women.
The meeting was chaired by the President of the Nationalist Women’s Party, Afroza Abbas. Other speakers included BNP Chairperson’s Advisor Tahsina Rushdie Luna.
The event was conducted by the organization’s General Secretary, Sultana Ahmed.