Staff Reporter :BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has once again called for forging national unity to restore democracy in the country.He made the call at a discussion held at the Institution of Engineer, Bangladesh (IEB) in the city on Monday. The discussion was arranged by the Bengali daily-Amardesh Family- on its Acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman’s three years in jail and closing the daily.Former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr Emazuddin Ahmed chaired the programme, while Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury of Gonoswasthya Kendra, former Pro-Vice chancellor of DU Prof Dr AFM Yusuf Haider, DU professor Dr Mahbub Ullah, BNP leaders Dr AZM Zahid Hossain and ANH Akter Hossain addressed it, among others. Mirza Fakhrul said that all patriotic parties, individuals and communities should get united, ignoring divisions to retrieve rights of people such as voting rights, freedom of speech by bringing democracy back in the country.Pointing out ‘misrule and misdeeds of the government’, he said that the people of Bangladesh are awakening against the government. “Now we need to build national unity by forgetting every differences,” he said. The BNP leader claimed that at least 500 leaders and activists of his party were killed during the Awami League’s regime, while about 4,50,000 party men were sued in several cases. “Even after the situation, we are not frustrated. We hope that the misrule and misdeeds of the regime will end once,” he said. Mirza Fakhrul demanded immediate and unconditional release of Mahmudur Rahman and re-opening Daily Amardesh. Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury said that there is no democracy in the BNP. “If the BNP practices of democracy, why Mirza Fakhrul could not be elected? BNP should resporte in its party at first, ” he said. Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury also criticised the ruling government for its ‘autocratic regime’, and said that the downfall of the autocratic regime will be ensured soon. In his presidential speech, Dr Emazuddin Ahmed said that the democracy was killed in the country.
