Staff Reporter :
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday expressed concern that Bangladesh is currently going through a period of instability.
“Right now, we genuinely need people like Barrister Moudud Ahmed. We are living in an unstable time, and he was undoubtedly someone who could have shown us a path forward,” he said.
Fakhrul made the remarks at the publication ceremony of Demise of Democracy, a book written by the late BNP leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed, held at a hotel in the capital.
He further lamented that Moudud Ahmed had not lived to see what he described as the end of “fascist Hasina’s rule,” something the late leader had hoped for.
Recalling his experience in prison with Moudud Ahmed in 2012, Fakhrul highlighted the former minister’s dedication to writing.
“When we were first taken to the old central jail on Nazimuddin Road-about 17 of us-Barrister Moudud immediately went to a particular room, determined to spend his prison time writing,” he said.
Fakhrul noted that Moudud would rise early and begin working right away. “His wife would send him papers, documents, and books from outside. I observed how seriously he pursued his study of history,” he added.
Praising Moudud as an objective historian, Fakhrul said: “While he may have faced criticism as a politician, I don’t think his historical writings leave much room for criticism.”
He also shared an anecdote to illustrate Moudud Ahmed’s commitment to democratic principles from the early years of the country.
According to Fakhrul, during the post-independence period under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman when a one-party system was taking shape and the Rakkhi Bahini had been formed the force detained communist leader Shanti Sen of Khulna, along with his wife, sister-in-law, and another activist, Hanufa Begum. The group was reportedly tortured for 21 days before being transferred to Dhaka Central Jail.
“Barrister Moudud, then a young lawyer, filed a Habeas Corpus petition. Under Justice Debesh Bhattacharya, he ensured they were brought before the court and eventually secured their release,” Fakhrul said.
He argued that such actions demonstrated Moudud Ahmed’s fundamentally democratic character.
“In this book and in his other works, we clearly see that he was a deeply democratic political leader. Although he held various positions at different times, his intention was always to find a way back to democracy. That is the best way to judge him,” he said.
Fakhrul urged the public especially young people to read Demise of Democracy, saying it remains essential for those who have “struggled against fascist rule.”
