Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
Fakhrul vows to continue BNP's anti-government movement
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said that they are determined to make their movement successful by fighting against imprisonment and oppression.
He was speaking at a discussion meeting of BNP marking the party’s founder Ziaur Rahman’s birth anniversary in the capital’s Ramna.
He also vowed to fulfill their 10-point demand. “We must force this government to resign and of course we will force a national election by dissolving Parliament and forming a new Election Commission through a new caretaker government.”
“That's why we have to carry forward the ideals of the former president Ziaur Rahman. We have to move forward with his extraordinary courage, his wisdom, his foresight.”
Regarding the assets owned by Bangladeshis abroad, Fakhrul said the new leaders of the ruling party Awami League (AL) are purchasing these properties abroad after looting the people’s assets.
“Most Bangladeshis bought houses abroad, especially in London. They are the new Awami Leaguers who have looted the country's wealth and are buying these houses,” he added.
He said, "People all over the country know that you (AL) are looting the assets.”
Read more: Fakhrul vows to intensify anti-govt movement
The BNP leader also denounced the government’s move on mandating Bijoy Keyboard for all mobile phones. He said this ‘Bijoy Keyboard’ is owned by Mustafa Jabbar, who is the Minister of Post, Telecommunication Information Technology.
“It is a rule that a minister can never involve his company in any profitable work of the government. In this case, they are doing such things publicly with official announcements.”
Earlier in the day, the leaders and activists of BNP along with the general secretary paid tribute to Zia's grave in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
The party has announced a 10-day program marking Ziaur Rahman's birth anniversary from January 17.
Read more: BNP vows to continue movement
Fakhrul returns home after health checkup at hospital
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has returned home from hospital after receiving treatment.
He returned to his Uttara residence after discharge from hospital on Monday night.
He was admitted to Dhaka's Evercare Hospital for a health checkup on Sunday morning under the supervision of Cardiologist Professor Shahabuddin Talukder.
Read more: Mirza Fakhrul hospitalised
Fakhrul said, "I returned home and feeling much better now. The doctors asked to take the medicines timely and take proper rest."
“But there is no such thing like rest for politicians.”
Fakhrul has been suffering from various health complications, including cardiac problems which intensified during his recent imprisonment.
In 2015, he was admitted to a Singapore Hospital when he was diagnosed with a block in the internal carotid artery in his neck while in prison. Since there is no treatment for this disease in Bangladesh, he has to go to Singapore every year.
Read more: 'Our peaceful movement bound to bring down govt': Fakhrul
Meanwhile, BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas is still undergoing treatment at the hospital. He will have to stay there for a few more days, said BNP’s Health Secretary Dr Rafiqul Islam.
Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas walked out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj on January 9 after the bail order reached the jail authorities.
On January 8, the Appellate Division upheld the High Court order granting bail to Fakhrul and Abbas in a case filed over the clash between police and the party activists at Nayapaltan on December 7 last year.
On December 9, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked them up from their homes in separate raids in the capital, a day before the party’s much-talked about rally in the capital.
Mirza Fakhrul hospitalised
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was admitted to Dhaka's Evercare Hospital this morning.
He was admitted to the hospital for a health checkup around 10:30am as he was feeling unwell, BNP's Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan said.
Read more: 'Our peaceful movement bound to bring down govt': Fakhrul
Fakhrul has been suffering from various health complications, including heart problems, which intensified during his recent imprisonment.
He walked out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj on January 9 after the bail order reached the jail authorities.
On January 8, the Appellate Division upheld the High Court order granting bail to Fakhrul and BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas in a case filed over the clash between police and the party activists at Nayapaltan on December 7 last year.
Read more: Govt's power price hike an 'anti-people' decision: Fakhrul
On December 9, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Fakhrul and Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital, a day before the party’s much-talked about rally in the capital.
Later, they were shown arrested in a case over the clash between police and the party activists in the capital's Nayapaltan on December 7, centring the rally. A Dhaka court sent them to jail rejecting their bail pleas.
Govt desperate to suppress opposition: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday alleged that the government has become "desperate" to suppress the opposition leaders and activists being afraid of the ongoing pro-democracy movement.
“You (AL leaders) used to say a few days back that we didn’t have the ability to stand on the streets and our backs were broken. But now you have become so restive that you are oppressing people by using all might to stop our movement,” he said.
Fakhrul made the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, condemning the attacks on BNP’s sit-in programme in Faridpur and Mymensingh and some other areas in the country by police and ruling party activists on Wednesday.
Read more: Wake up more to restore voting rights, Fakhrul urges people
He said the government has lost the ground beneath its feet. “The government has become so scared that they are carrying out attacks on our peaceful programmes.”
The BNP leader also said the ruling party leaders are making various unguarded comments about the ongoing movement sensing their fall.
He alleged that the armed ‘cadres’ of the ruling party attacked BNP’s programme in Faridpur and Mymensingh in presence of law enforcers.” The police not only played the role of a silent spectator there but also attacked the leaders and workers of BNP, lobbed teargas shells and charged batons on them.”
The BNP leader claimed that the law enforcers also arrested over 100 BNP leaders and activists from the two divisions while over 250 others were injured during the attacks.
Besides, he said police filed a case against BNP leaders and activists in Faridpur in connection with the clash.
Sought his comments on Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader’s remark on the outcome of the simultaneous movement with small parties, Fakhrul said people do not care about what the ruling party leader says. “Like me, people all over the country don't give any importance to his remarks.”
Read more: BNP, like-minded parties announce countrywide rally, procession on Jan 16
No programme at district level on January 16:
Fakhrul said their party will hold a rally and procession programme on January 16 in all cities and upazila headquarters to press home their 10-point demand and protest the government’s power price hike decision.
“Yesterday (Wednesday) I said the programme will also be observed in all districts. But the programme will be observed only in all metropolitan cities and upazilas, not in districts.”
Wake up more to restore voting rights, Fakhrul urges people
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday called upon the country’s people to wake up more to restore their voting rights by ousting the Awami League government.
“The people of Bangladesh have woken up. We need to now wake up more to materialise the dreams of the Liberation War and build a truly people's Bangladesh for ensuring a beautiful future for our children,” he said.
Speaking at a sit-in programme, the BNP leader also called upon people from all walks of life to join their ongoing simultaneous movement to force the present ‘autocratic’ government to quit, paving the way for establishing a pro-people government and parliament through an acceptable election.
“Let us move towards that goal. We’ve to move forward uniting the people of Bangladesh to restore our voting rights and democracy. There’s a good sign that the noted citizens of the country are coming forward to this end,” he said.
BNP arranged the sit-in programme in front of its Nayapaltan central office as part of the simultaneous movement against the current government.
Other like-minded opposition parties, alliances and organisations also observed a similar programme in different areas of the capital and nine other divisions in the country to realise their 10-point demand including holding the next polls under a non-party neutral government.
Read more: BNP announces countrywide rally, procession on Jan 16
BNP began the programme at Nayapaltan around 10:30am with the recitation of verses from the holy Quran.
It was the second programme of the simultaneous movement after the mass procession by the 33 opposition parties on December 30.
Earlier on December 30, BNP and 32 other like-minded opposition parties staged a mass procession programme in different parts of the capital as the first programme of the simultaneous movement.
AL has become isolated from people
Fakhrul said Awami League identifies itself as a political party. “We know that they are a very old familiar party. “But now they have completely lost their political existence.”
He said Awami league has also got isolated from people. “That's why they have to depend on the police and bureaucrats now to stay in power by force."
The BNP leader said all the opposition political parties have agreed to remove the current government for the restoration of democracy and people's right to vote. “They will make this movement successful by realising the 10-point demand.”
He said the current government has destroyed all the state institutions. “That’s why we’re talking about 27 points to reform the state.”
Referring to media reports on Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan’s 14 houses in the USA, Fakhrul said an official of an autonomous organisation is building houses abroad by siphoning off hundreds of crores of taka abroad.
Read more: BNP’s 27 points parts of anti-govt movement: Amir Khosru
He alleged that people belonging to the ruling party are ruining the country’s economy by indulging in plundering and siphoning off huge money abroad.
The BNP leader alleged that the ruling party leaders have established a reign of plundering by establishing their control on all institutions, including the banks.
He said the current government’s main target is to restore one-party Baksal rule by snatching people’s all rights. “We won’t let the government do it. We’ll move forward together with people to ensure the fall of this regime.”
Fakhrul said many leaders and activists of their party have still been languishing in jail enduring unbearable suffering.
He demanded the government immediately release the party’s arrested central leaders, including Dhaka south city unit convener Abdus Salam, party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general Khairul Kabir Khokon and publicity affairs secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anne.
Fakhrul alleged that the ruling party activists and law enforcers attacked their peaceful sit-in programmes in Faridpur and Mymensingh. “We strongly condemn and protest it.”
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the government used to say BNP announces programmes to create chaos. “But we arranged 10 rallies and subsequent programmes peacefully.”
He said they will also hold their all programmes in the days to come in the same way together with people to oust the government and implement their 27 points to reform the state.
Read more: Implementing 10 points a key New Year’s challenge for BNP: Mosharraf
He thanked the party leaders and activists for making the sit-in programme a success with their huge participation.
BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas said this government must go as people have woken up against it.
“We don’t want to remove this regime by pushing it down. We want to ensure its fall through a credible election under a caretaker government,” he said.
Abbas said their party doesn’t want to resort to any violence as BNP believes in democracy and peaceful programmes. “The government is suffering from unnecessary panic. BNP does not want any chaos and unrest. We urge the government to refrain from provocative activities. If you do that then the consequences will not be good. The days of being in power by force are over.”
He also called upon the government to accept their party’s 10-point demand and hand over power to a non-party neutral government for arranging a free and fair election.
Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies joined the sit-in programme, disrupting traffic movement in the area.
Besides, Ganatantra Mancha observed a similar programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club while the 12-Party Alliance near Bijoy Nagar Water Tank, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote at Purana Paltan, LDP at FDC Crossing and Ganatantrik Bam Oikya in the east side of the Jatiya Press Club and Gonoforum (Montu) at Arambagh.
Fakhrul vows to intensify anti-govt movement
Finally walking out of jail after a month, BNP secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday took a fresh vow to intensify their ongoing movement to oust the government and restore democracy and people’s voting rights in Bangladesh.
“The more they will repress us, the more people will burst into anger and defeat them through a movement,” he said.
Speaking briefly in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan Central office, he said their party has no option to back down from the movement.
“We’ll only move forward with our movement and will free all our arrested leaders and activists. We have to intensify our movement to defeat this regime and our movement will be successful,” he said.
Fakhrul said they want to carry out their movement in a peaceful manner. “Let us come forward to free Bangladesh from a fascist and autocratic rule and restore democracy and people’s voting rights. After coming out of jail, we are taking a fresh vow that we’ll carry on our movement until we succeed,” he said.
The BNP leader said the government will not be able to stop the movement to restore democracy by resorting to mass arrests, injustice, torture, killing, and oppression as people have woken up to get back their rights.
“The government has turned the entire country into a jail. Many of our leaders and activists are still staying in prisons. Unfortunately, they are living inhumane lives there. I demand their immediate release,” he said.
Fakhrul said the government thought that it would be able to suppress BNP’s movement by arresting its leaders and activists, sending them to jail, ransacking the party office and gunning down the opposition activists. “But the movement intensified. Entire Bangladesh has been rocked by protests. We’ll defeat this fascist regime through a peaceful movement.”
He called upon people from all walks of life to make the countrywide sit-in programme on January 11 (Wednesday) a success with their spontaneous participation.
Speaking at a programme, BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas said the government had the plan to create violence at Nayapaltan over BNP’s rally on December 10, but they avoided it.
“They (govt) thought we will hold our December 10 rally at Nayapaltan and engage in a clash with police and they will make a political gain by shifting the blame on us for the violence,” he said.
The BNP leader further said: “We wanted to hold the rally peacefully avoiding clashes…I was arrested as I did not give the government a chance to create violence at Nayapaltan on December 10. My offense is I did not allow the government to ensue violence. I was arrested as I tried to avoid violence.”
Abbas said their party wants to observe their all programmes peacefully in a democratic manner. “I call upon the government not to do anything that may invite violence.”
The BNP leader said their party must carry out the movement to save the country and restore people’s voting and other rights.
They both expressed their gratitude to the party leaders and workers for carrying out different programmes seeking their release.
Fakhrul and Abbas were freed from jail on bail from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj around 6pm.
BNP leaders and activists and the relatives of the two top leaders received the duo at the jail gate. From there, they went straight to BNP's Nayapaltan Central office.
Several hundred leaders and activists received Fakhrul and Abbas as they reached the party office around 6:30pm amid various slogans and clapping.
On Sunday, the Appellate Division upheld the High Court order granting bail to Fakhrul and party standing committee member Abbas in a case filed over the clash between police and the party activists at Nayapaltan on December 7 last year.
The High Court granted six months' bail to Fakhrul and Abbas, in the case on January 3.
Earlier on December 9, at the ungodly hour of 3.30am, a team of the Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Fakhrul and Abbas from their homes in separate raids, a day before the party’s much-talked-about rally in the capital.
They were arrested in a case filed by police over a 'clash' between police and the party activists in the capital's Nayapaltan on December 7 centring the rally. A Dhaka court sent them to jail rejecting their bail pleas.
The time it took to secure bail for the two senior leaders raised eyebrows in many quarters.
BNP, however, went ahead with the rally in the absence of Fakhrul and Abbas and placed a 10-point demand, including the resignation of the current government and holding the next polls under a caretaker government.
60 varsity teachers demand release of Mirza Fakhrul
Sixty former and current teachers of several universities on Thursday in a joint statement demanded the release of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir who has been in jail since December 9.
The statement signed by Dhaka University’s Physics department Professor ABM Obaidul Islam expressed concern over Fakhrul not being granted bail saying that they came to know from his family that he is sick and physicians consulted him to go abroad for better treatment.
“We are concerned over his health as friends and well-wishers,” it read.
The statement said Mirza Fakhrul has been practising politics to strengthen democratic structures of the country.
Read more: Fakhrul renews demand for ailing Khaleda's unconditional release
“We are demanding his release to make stronger and speed up the march of democracy in the country,” it said.
Prof Sirajul Islam, Prof Anowar Ullah Chowdhury, Prof Abul Kashem Fazlul Hoque, Prof Mahbub Ullah, Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud, Prof Ahmed Kamal, Prof Saidur Rahman and Prof Anu Muhammad, among others, expressed solidarity with the demand.
Read more: Fakhrul, Abbas, 5 other BNP leaders seek bail, hearing tomorrow
Mirza Fakhrul, Abbas should’ve given division in jail earlier: HC
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas should have been given the first class facility in jail earlier, said the High Court on Wednesday.
The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali said this after dismissing the writ petition seeking first class facility in jail for the BNP leaders.
The Magistrate Court ordered to give division facility to them on December 9. But, Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas could not avail the facility for a few days as the facility was given on Tuesday, said the bench.
Read more: Mirza Fakhrul, Abbas given division in jail: State counsel
On Tuesday, Mirza Fakhrul’s wife Rahat Ara Begum, Mirza Abbas’ wife Afroza Abbas and advocate AJ Mohammad Ali submitted the petitions. Later, the bench fixed 3:00 pm today for hearing on the petitions.
In the early hours of Friday, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Fakhrul and Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital city.
Later, they were arrested in a case filed over the clash between police and the party activists in the capital’s Nayapaltan.
Read more: Police looted, vandalised BNP HQ, says Khandaker Mosharraf
On Monday, a Dhaka court rejected the bail petition of 224 leaders and activists of BNP, including Fakhrul and Abbas, and sent them to jail, pending further legal procedures.
224 BNP leaders including Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas denied bail
A Dhaka court on Monday rejected the bail petition of 224 leaders and activists of BNP, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas, in a case over the clash between police and the party activists in the capital’s Nayapaltan.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shafiuddin passed the order when their counsel sought bail for them.
Earlier, on Sunday a court set Monday for hearing of the bail petitions of the BNP leaders and activists in the case.
Read more: Fakhrul, Abbas, 5 other BNP leaders seek bail, hearing tomorrow
The other BNP leaders include Dhaka south city unit convener Abdus Salam, Publication Secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, joint secretary Khairul Kabir Khokon, former organizing secretary Fazlul Haque Milon and Selim Reza Habib.
On Friday, a Dhaka court sent Mirza Fakhrul and Abbas to jail rejecting their bail petitions in the case.
In the early hours of Friday, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital city.
Later they were shown arrested in a case filed under the Explosive Substances Act with Paltan police station over Wednesday’s clash.
Read more: Fakhrul, Abbas sent to jail ahead of BNP’s Dhaka rally
They were accused of instigating, planning and directing an attack on police, crude bomb explosion, destroying public property and lives, he added.
On Wednesday, a Swechchasebak Dal leader was killed and around 50 others were injured in a clash between police and the BNP activists in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office, ahead of its December 10 rally.
On Thursday, a Dhaka court sent 445 BNP leaders and activists including Annie and Salam to jail in two cases filed over Wednesday’s violence.
Mirza Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas picked up by detectives: BNP
BNP in the early hours on Friday claimed that plainclothes police picked up its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital city.
BNP’s Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan said that a team of Detective Branch (DB) of Police went to Fakhrul’s Uttara house at the dead of night and picked him up around 3:00 am.
He said another team of the DB police raided the house of Abbas at the same time and picked him up from his Shahjahanpur home in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain condemned the detention of the two top party leaders and said it has once again exposed the government’s political vengeance.
Talking to UNB, he said their party’s decision about Saturday’s rally will be announced after a virtual meeting of the standing committee that was supposed to begin at 11:30am.
Talking to reporters on Friday morning, Fakhrul’s wife Rahat Ara Begum said four DB police members came upstairs of their house around 3am while som others were staying downstairs.
“I asked them the reason behind their arrival here at the dead of night. They said they came here to take him (Fakhrul) away as per the directives of the higher authorities,” she said.
Rahat Ara said as she asked them whether they had any Al warrant for his arrest, the law enforcers said he was accused in two or three fresh cases that were filed yesterday.
She said Fakhrul’s physical condition was not good and he took some medicines with him while he was picked up by the DB police.
Read more: BNP yet to decide venue for Dec 10 rally
“I was asleep when Abbas woke me up and said they (DB members) were going to take me with them and I couldn’t believe it at first,” said Mirza Abbas’s wife Afroza Abbas
They said they will return him after discussion ld with him, she said.
Afroza, also the president of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, said Abbs returned home late night along with some BNP leaders after visiting two possible venues for their party’s Saturday’s rally.
As the BNP leaders, including Barkatullah Bulu, AZM Zahid Hossain and others who had a meeting with the DMP commissioner at night left Abbas’ house around 3am, Afroza said the DB members came to pick up her husband.
Read more: Nayapaltan clash: 445 BNP activists including Rizvi, Annie sent to jail, 2 get bail
Earlier on Thursday night, a BNP delegation had a six-hour meeting with the DMP commissioner where they talked about holding the rally on Saturday (December 10) either at Kamalapur Stadium or Mirpur Bangla College ground.
Later, Abbas with some BNP leaders visited the two venues.
At that meeting, police authorities assured of reopening BNP office at Nayapaltan.
On Wednesday, a Swechchasebak Dal leader was killed and around 50 others were injured in a clash between police and the BNP activists in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office ahead of its December 10 rally.
Following the clash, police raided the BNP office and arrested around 300 party leaders and activists from there.
While an understanding was reached apparently between the government and the BNP over the rally following the BNP leaders’ meeting with the DMP authorities, taking away of two top leaders of the party has manifested the government’s tough stance against BNP, which is desperate to reinforce its anti-government movement ahead of next general elections.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has warned of tough action against any anarchy in the name of anti-government movement.
Talking to UNB, some BNP leaders expressed their fear that the government may arrest more senior party leaders to halt the planned rally on Saturday.
On Thursday, a Dhaka court sent 445 BNP leaders and activists to jail in two cases filed over Wednesday’s violence.
Party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Dhaka south city unit convener Abdus Salam and Publication Secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie were among the top leaders who were sent to jail, pending further legal procedures.