Dhaka, Dec 14: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday hoped that the interim government will arrange the national election soon in line with people’s desire.
“We’re always optimistic. We’re cooperating with the interim government. Hopefully, an election will be arranged soon as per the will of the people,” he said while speaking to reporters after paying homage to the martyred intellectuals.
The BNP leader said people will get the opportunity to elect their representatives through a free, fair, and impartial election.
Fakhrul said a new opportunity to build the country has been created by defeating the fascist forces through the student-led July-August mass uprising.
“By taking advantage of this opportunity, we want to establish Bangladesh as a truly democratic and modern state without discrimination,” he said.
Fakhrul recalled the self-sacrifices of the intellectuals in the country’s Liberation War.
“Today is Martyred Intellectuals Day. On this day in 1971, we lost the best sons of the nation as the Pakistani occupying forces abducted and killed Bangladesh’s prominent journalists, intellectuals, professors, scientists, and prominent figures of civil society just moments before the victory,” he said.
The BNP leader said the people of Bangladesh fought in 1971 to build an independent, democratic and prosperous Bangladesh.
He urged all to take a vow to build a self-reliant, new democratic Bangladesh to materialise the dream of the martyred intellectuals and those who sacrificed their lives for liberating the country.
Fakhrul said they paid homage to the martyred intellectuals on behalf of their party, its chairperson Khaleda Zia, and acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
“We pray for the salvation and eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyred intellectuals,” he said.
Earlier, Fakhrul along with some party senior leaders, paid tributes to martyred intellectuals by placing a wreath at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial at Mirpur in the city, marking the Martyred Intellectuals’ Day.
BNP kept the national flag at half-mast and hoisted black flags atop all its, including the Nayapaltan central one, to mark the day.