Staff Reporter :
A total of 422 activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were killed during the student-led mass movement in July and August, aimed at ousting the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina, according to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He shared this information at a press conference held at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan on Sunday.
Mirza Fakhrul also accused the government of instigating the current unrest among workers in the country’s industrial sectors, labeling it as being driven by “allies of fascism.”
He stated that the BNP has collected detailed information, including names and addresses, of all the victims of the July-August movement, and this list will soon be made available on the party’s website.
At the press conference, BNP Standing Committee members Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan, and Salauddin Ahmed were also present.
Fakhrul cited reports stating that a total of 875 people were killed in the July-August unrest across the country, with many being targeted by law enforcement agencies on the orders of Sheikh Hasina. He pointed out that 422 of the deceased were associated with BNP politics.
The BNP leader emphasized the ongoing political struggle against the Hasina government, referring to the pain and suffering endured by countless families, including mothers waiting for their missing sons, widows mourning their husbands, and children grieving for their fathers.
Mirza Fakhrul criticized the leaked audio recordings of Hasina, which he claimed spread misleading information.
He also dismissed reports that religious minorities were being persecuted in Bangladesh, saying Indian journalists had found such claims to be false.
He concluded by urging patience and called for a neutral interim government to oversee reforms and ensure free and fair elections, enabling citizens to elect their representatives.