Democracy in Bangladesh will be restored in 2022, Fakhrul hopes

BNP today expressed hope that democracy in Bangladesh will be restored this year.

"We hope that 2022 will be the year of freeing people from misrule, when democracy will be restored and Khaleda Zia will be released. We are confident that we will be able to establish a people's government in the country," Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, party's secretary general, said.

Placing wreath at party founder Ziaur Rahman's grave to mark the founding anniversary of the party's associate body Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the BNP leader repeated that they decided not to join the talks with president Abdul Hamid over formation of Election Commission as it is "meaningless."

"The current political crisis is not over the formation of Election Commission, but rather election-time government. If Awami League remains in power during the polls, election will not be free and fai," he said.

Fakhrul said election should be held under a non-partisan government and that government will oversee the polls.

The party alleged that the government is hatching a conspiracy to kill the party chairperson Khaleda Zia.

"Khaleda Zia is fighting for her life in the hospital. She was convicted on a false and politically motivated case. She was deprived of treatment and she was a victim of political vengeance," Fakhrul alleged.

The BNP leader alleged that Khaleda is being deprived of treatment so that she gradually dies.

He said that Chhatra Dal leaders vowed that they would intensify the movement to ensure release of Khaleda Zia and to restore democracy in the country.

BNP's top leaders, along with hundreds of Chhatra Dal leaders and activists including its president Fazlur Rahman Khokon and general secretary Iqbal Hossain, went to the party founder's grave.