BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said mere awareness is no longer enough and called on people to actively resist what he described as “evil forces” threatening democracy.
He made the remarks at a protest meeting against alleged mob violence, organised by the Editors’ Council at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital.
Mirza Fakhrul said attacks on media outlets amounted to attacks on democracy itself and on the spirit of the July movement. “This is not an assault on a newspaper alone. Democracy, free thought and free speech are under attack,” he said. “I have spent my entire life fighting for an independent, sovereign and democratic Bangladesh. I never imagined seeing the situation we are witnessing today.”
Demanding exemplary punishment for those responsible, the BNP leader said the government must take full responsibility for the incidents. “Today it is not just the Daily Star or Prothom Alo that has been targeted. The right to think freely, the right to speak freely, has once again been attacked,” he said.
He also described the July uprising as a struggle to establish the rights of the people. “That very struggle has now come under attack,” he added.
Calling for unity beyond party lines, Mirza Fakhrul urged all democratic-minded citizens to come together. “This is not about any single political party or organisation,” he said. “Those who want to move Bangladesh from darkness to light, those who believe in a truly independent and sovereign democratic state, must not only remain alert — they must stand up. Now is the time to act.”
