BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (25 October) that Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Motiur Rahman Nizami and Mir Quasem Ali, along with BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, and several other religious leaders and scholars were sentenced to death in “false cases”.
The senior BNP leader made the remark while attending a programme at the Shilpakala Academy to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Bengali daily newspaper Daily Naya Diganta.
The nation has not forgotten the oppression by the fascist government on democratic forces. False cases were filed against 60 lakh activists, and more than 20,000 leaders and activists were victims of killings and enforced disappearances
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
Fakhrul commended the newspaper for its resilience during the previous regime as he said, “Naya Diganta is another name for struggle to us. During the fascist regime, the journalists, editors, publishers, and workers of this newspaper suffered unspeakable torture and oppression.”
“The nation has not forgotten the oppression by the fascist government on democratic forces. False cases were filed against 60 lakh activists, and more than 20,000 leaders and activists were victims of killings and enforced disappearances,” he claimed.
“The Jamaat-e-Islami’s ameer Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, Naya Diganta’s owner Mir Quasem Ali, Salauddin Quader [Chowdhury], and many other ulama (religious scholars) were handed death sentences in false cases. These are disgraceful chapters in the nation’s history.”
The BNP leader recalled the tough times for press freedom during the Baksal rule in 1975, when journalists lost their jobs and some were forced to become street vendors.
He credited late president Ziaur Rahman with later restoring press freedom and re-establishing multi-party democracy.
Addressing the upcoming general election, Fakhrul confirmed the timeline and urged political unity.
“The date for the election has been announced to be held by February of 2026,” he said. “Through the unity of the parties that signed the reform charter, we want to create an environment for an acceptable, participatory election. I urge everyone to participate in the election for the restoration of democracy.”
Fakhrul stressed that the people of Bangladesh desire a truly sovereign and democratic nation, one “that is not controlled by any foreign power, but governed by the will of the people.”