Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), in an exclusive interview with Tanvir Hasan of Dhaka Tribune, said the BNP does not believe in extremism and asserts that liberal democracy remains the only viable path for the country.
Born on January 26, 1948, in Thakurgaon, Fakhrul completed his higher secondary education at Dhaka College and earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Dhaka. During his student life, he was involved in the politics of the East Pakistan Students Union. After independence, he joined the teaching profession in the Economics Department of Dhaka College.
Fakhrul became active in politics in 1986. In 1992, he was elected president of the Thakurgaon district branch of the BNP. In the 2001 parliamentary elections, he was elected as a member of parliament (MP) from the Thakurgaon-1 constituency. In the same year, when the BNP formed the government in November, he initially served as the state minister for the Ministry of Agriculture and later as the state minister for the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. Mirza Fakhrul has been serving as secretary general of the BNP since 2011.
During the interview the veteran politician spoke on various ongoing issues.
How does the BNP intend to implement the July Charter—through a referendum or Parliament?
I do not answer these questions, and I do not wish to enter into debates. We have a committee for this, which is working on reforms; they will provide the answers. I will only say that there is no opportunity to do anything outside the constitution.
What is the BNP’s preparation for the upcoming elections? Will you participate in them as part of a coalition?
Our preparation for the elections is good. The coalition issue depends on the situation at that time.
Is there any possibility of the BNP’s forming a coalition with the Jamaat or NCP?
Fakhrul: As I told you, that depends on the situation at that time. Once the election date is announced, we will decide on this matter.
Millions of educated young people in the country are unemployed. If the BNP comes to power, how does it plan to create employment for these youths?
We will try to provide what the youth want in our election manifesto. The BNP will continue working to fulfil their expectations.
You mentioned that in the past people had to pay Tk1 lakh in bribes, and now they have to pay Tk5 lakh. Why has this happened after the July Uprising?
Those who hold various government responsibilities have become accustomed to this issue. Now, since there is pressure from above, no bribes are taken on behalf of the government. But the risk is higher at the lower levels, which is why this is happening.
You say that extremism is rising in Bangladesh. Why do you think extremists have risen?
Fakhrul: We have observed that all extremists have started breaking household rules. They give orders—do this, do that. They go in front of newspaper offices to slaughter cows and arrange for food. This is extreme anarchy and extremism. Afterwards, they start promoting an extremist ideology. The BNP does not believe in these things. We are a liberal democratic party. We believe that liberal democracy is the only path for Bangladesh.
Ducsu and other student council elections are about to be held. How does the BNP view this?
This is a matter of student politics. Elections to the student councils are a positive sign. However, these elections should follow the right path and not become partisan. They should not be conducted the way the Awami League held elections in the past. The student councils should work focusing on students’ issues.
The deputy prime minister of Pakistan recently visited Bangladesh and met with the BNP as well. How do you see the future of Bangladesh’s relations with Pakistan?
We do have relations with Pakistan. Our relations with them are bittersweet because we fought our way out of Pakistan. Pakistan carried out genocide in our country; that is the reality. For that, we want them to apologise to us. On the other hand, we have to engage in trade with Pakistan because trade is crucial for a country’s development. There are many areas where we can work together with Pakistan.
The deputy prime minister of Pakistan has said that we should clarify our intentions to move forward in relations with them. What is your view?
I saw this in the media that we must clarify our intentions. I do not know how accurate that is. However, we have repeatedly said that Pakistan must apologise for the 1971 genocide. If that happens, relations between our two countries will progress further.
Discussions are ongoing regarding the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. If the BNP comes to power, how will it handle this issue?
We have sent Rohingyas back to their country twice—once in 1978 during Ziaur Rahman’s time, and again in 1994 during Begum Khaleda Zia’s tenure. The BNP managed to repatriate Rohingyas through peaceful negotiations, and it was possible. Similarly, we will complete this process promptly through negotiations.
