BNP stands for liberal democracy, says Fakhrul
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday sought to firmly anchor his party’s identity in liberal democratic values, saying BNP would not allow itself to become an instrument of political or ideological division in the country.
“BNP is a party of liberal democracy. We believe in liberal democracy. We want to establish that liberal democracy. We do not want to create any other division here,” Fakhrul said at a discussion held at the Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) in Dhaka.
The event, titled ‘Ziaur Rahman’s Independent Non-Aligned Diplomacy in the Current Context,’ was organised to mark the 45th martyrdom anniversary of BNP founder and slain President Ziaur Rahman.
A newspaper exhibition was held alongside the programme, which was chaired by Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon. PIB Director General Faruk Wasif moderated the discussion. Fakhrul used the occasion to address what he described as a pre-election media narrative that Jamaat-e-Islami would emerge as a dominant electoral force.
“Before the election, some intellectuals had created hype in newspapers that Jamaat-e-Islami was coming to power and would win the most votes,” he said. “But the people did not make a mistake. They chose BNP instead. The reason is that BNP is a liberal democratic party.”
The remarks appear designed to reinforce BNP’s positioning as the dominant force in Bangladesh’s post-Awami League political landscape — and to draw a clear ideological line between the party and its Islamist rivals.
Fakhrul said the party’s current direction under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman reflected the founding ideals of the nation. He cited Tarique Rahman’s governing slogan — “Bangladesh First” — as a continuation of the political philosophy of his father, Ziaur Rahman, who had adopted the patriotic song “Prothom Bangladesh Amar Shesh Bangladesh” (“Bangladesh is my first and last”) as a rallying call.
“They want to establish the ideals for which Bangladesh was created,” Fakhrul said of his party’s leadership.
Reflecting on Ziaur Rahman’s place in history, Fakhrul pushed back against long-standing criticism from the Awami League, which had historically dismissed Zia as an “unknown major.”
“When people across the country were waiting for a declaration from their leader to start the war and none came, that unknown major suddenly announced rebellion against Pakistan and declared war from Chattogram,” he said, referring to Zia’s famous independence proclamation in March 1971.
Fakhrul, who said he participated in the Liberation War as an organiser, spoke with evident emotion about the conflict. “I have seen how Pakistani occupation forces burned village after village, carried out killings, and tortured women. That is why I can never forgive them, and I cannot equate the 1971 war with anything else.”
He described Ziaur Rahman’s greatest contribution as giving the people of Bangladesh a distinct national identity, and said he sees “reflections of Ziaur Rahman” in the programmes, speeches, and activities of Tarique Rahman.
