Attempt being made to erase history of 1971: Mirza Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that certain groups are trying to erase the history of the 1971 Liberation War.

He made the remarks on Sunday (October 12) while speaking as the chief guest at a memorial event organised at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), marking the second death anniversary of Saifuddin Monir, former General Secretary of the Democratic League.

The Jatiyatabadi Samomona Jote (pro-BNP alliance) organised the event. Dr. Fariduzzaman Farhad, coordinator of the alliance and chairman of the National People's Party (NPP), presided over the programme.

Mirza Fakhrul said, “We must remember that it is because of the war in 1971 that we gained independence. And because we became independent, we can now think freely and continue the struggle for economic freedom.”

He accused certain political groups and individuals of blaming BNP to delay the process of restoring people’s voting rights. “They are suddenly promoting the PR (Proportional Representation) system, which people don’t even understand properly. This is just a tactic to delay free and fair elections,” he said.

He added, “The people of this country will not accept anything that is forced upon them, and that includes the PR system.”

Speaking about the upcoming election, he said, “The national election is supposed to take place in February next year. We want to see the interim government’s commitment to that. The people want to vote and return to a democratic system.”

Mirza Fakhrul also said, “We have been fighting against fascism for the last 16–17 years. Through student and public movements, that fascist regime was forced to retreat. Now, there is an opportunity to return to democracy — we must not lose it.”

He concluded by saying, “Every day, rumors are being spread. But I believe the people of this country never make mistakes — they always move in the right direction.”