Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has written a long letter to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus on behalf of the party regarding the prevailing situation in the country.
In the letter titled ‘Opinions and suggestions on some urgent matters to be done in the prevailing situation in the country’, BNP has mentioned the end of the Awami League rule and the ouster of the rulers through mass uprising in July-August 2024.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir handed over the letter to the chief adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna on Wednesday afternoon.
In the letter, BNP mentioned that in the long 16-year struggle, more than 1700 opposition leaders and activists have been victims of enforced disappearances, more than a thousand have been killed, and more than 6 million leaders and activists have been injured, maimed, and harassed in cases of disappearance. In addition, more than two thousand youths, students, workers, and women and children have sacrificed their lives in the mass uprising of July-August 2024, and thousands more have been injured and maimed.
The letter says that starting from the Great Liberation War, BNP has always worked for the welfare of the people as a leader or active partner in every struggle to restore democracy and human rights.
To that end, BNP has supported the interim government led by Prof Yunus in taking over the governance of the state in accordance with the constitution to deliver the benefits of the July-August 2024 students-workers-people uprising to the countrymen and create a sustainable platform to fulfill their aspirations, and has assured full cooperation and continued cooperation.
BNP expressed the hope that the people's long-standing expectation from Prof Yunus and the interim government led by him is to quickly bring the fascist party, their party government and associates under the law, prosecute crimes against the people and humanity, prosecute corruption and looting, and return the laundered money, ensure compensation and proper medical treatment for the dead and injured, contain commodity prices and improve law and order, and return state power to the people through a free, fair and impartial national parliamentary election.
BNP believes that changes and reforms in the constitution, laws, rules and institutions are essential for holding a free and impartial election. In this regard, they will support any initiative of the government.
In the letter, BNP termed both the theories of ‘development first, democracy later’ and ‘reform first, democracy later’ as wrong. They believe that development for all is possible only by strengthening and implementing the democratic system and for this, reforms in the state system, laws and policies are necessary.
BNP claims that almost all the epoch-making reforms in the history of the country’s politics and economy have come from their hands. They mentioned the 19-point reform programme of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, the Vision-2030 of the country’s leader Begum Khaleda Zia and the 27-point reform programme of acting chairman Tarique Rahman for repairing the state structure and the 31-point reform programme announced with the opinions of other parties. BNP said that the ongoing process of reform is part of their declaration and they welcome any ‘reasonable discussion’. However, they do not support the strategy of depriving the people of their voting rights by wasting time for the interests of parties or groups concerned.
BNP had earlier conveyed some of its concerns and suggestions to the Chief Adviser on November 21 last year and February 10 this year, but they stated that no discussion was held on those issues. In addition, BNP believes that the government's activities are being hampered by the fact that 764 officials who were discriminated against by the fascist government were promoted but not posted, and demanded their immediate posting.
In the letter, BNP emphasized the 'coordination' in the statements of the state's chief executive and the government, and said that the recent 'exceptions' in this have 'worried' them. They want to have confidence in the Chief Adviser, but feel that the statements of some individuals and supporters of his government have created confusion and called for necessary action in this regard.
BNP further said that the 'great responsibility' of restoring the democratic rights of the people has been entrusted to the Chief Adviser and they hope that it will be fulfilled as soon as possible. BNP called for an immediate announcement of a specific electoral roadmap with a view to holding the national elections by December. They also proposed to place the NID project under the Election Commission and quickly resolve the legal complications of re-delimitation of constituencies.
At the same time, the BNP demanded speedy trial of those involved in the fascist party and their government, compensation and proper treatment for those killed and injured in the July-August uprising, improving the commodity prices and law and order, and withdrawal of false and harassing cases filed during 1/11 and the fascist regime.
At the end of the letter, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged the chief adviser to quickly complete the necessary reforms and end the confusion created in the public mind by announcing a specific roadmap for the national elections by next December.
