Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday said that 422 activists of the party were killed in the July-August student-led mass uprising that ousted the authoritarian government of Awami League president Sheikh Hasina.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the disclosure at a press conference at the party chairperson鈥檚 Gulshan office in Dhaka.
He said that the party had collected the names, identities and addresses of all the victims. This list will be published on the party鈥檚 website.
The BNP secretary general, referring to various reports, said that 875 people embraced martyrdom during the July-August mass uprising across the country.
Of them, at least 422 victims were involved in BNP politics, he said.
Referring to the August 5 victory of students and people that ended Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 authoritarian rule for 16 years, Fakhrul said, 鈥楾here were many unpublished histories of pain of many oppressed people behind this victory.鈥�
鈥楤ehind the victory, there were cries of mothers waiting for the return of their missing sons, the tears of widows, children鈥檚 heart-breaking cries for their lame fathers, and sisters鈥� silent prayers for their brothers in prison,鈥� Fakhrul said.
He said that all the blood, tears, anger, rage and unspoken pains of every family during the fight against fascist Sheikh Hasina for 16 years exploded at the same time and people finally achieved their victory.
Fakhrul said that 422 BNP activists embraced martyrdom in the mass uprising in 2024.
He said that, before the sacrifice of the lives of 422 activists of BNP in 2024, a total of 1,551 leaders and activists of the party were killed during the rule of Awami League until 2023.
He said that 422 leaders and activists of the BNP disappeared during the time, while the number would be about 700 if the number of disappeared persons from all the parties was counted.
He said that 1.5 lakh cases were filed accusing 60 lakh leaders and activists of BNP during the fascist rule of Sheikh Hasina.
鈥楾hese are not only the statistics of BNP鈥檚 sacrifice, but also the reflection of the party鈥檚 steady struggle and contribution to achieving 鈥渢he second independence of Bangladesh鈥�,鈥� he said.
He said that BNP had restored democracy every time and the road to democracy was paved on August 5.
鈥楤NP took to the streets not for taking the credit of the movement but for the sake of the people of the country,鈥� he added.
He said that it would be an injustice to history if due recognition of the sacrifices of those involved in the restoration of democracy movement was not given.
鈥楾he highest priority of BNP is to establish a real democratic Bangladesh by reforming the system. BNP-announced 31 points should be implemented to build a safe and merit-based society,鈥� he said.
He said that the unity that was developed through the simultaneous movement was manifested in the 10 points announced on December 10, 2022 and, at the end, the movement turned into a one-point movement demanding Hasina鈥檚 resignation.
At the time, more than 10,000 BNP leaders and activists, including a good number of senior leaders, were arrested, he said and added that the party office was kept closed forcibly.
鈥楾here is no way to underestimate the contribution of BNP. After the murder of Abu Sayeed in Rangpur on July 16, anger erupted throughout the country. The BNP office was closed on July 19 and numerous BNP leaders and activists were arrested,鈥� he said.
鈥楤NP was on the streets despite multi-dimensional oppression. The body of a BNP leader was among the bodies burnt using gunpowder in Savar. Fascist Sheikh Hasina has tortured the Zia family and forced millions of party activists to flee their homes,鈥� he said.
He said that most of the people of low-income groups, including hawkers, rickshaw pullers and security guards, in Dhaka city were BNP leaders and activists.
鈥楾he manner in which BNP leaders and activists were killed will remain as a dark chapter of brutality. The repression of the then government to wipe out BNP has been discussed in international media,鈥� he said.
Such torture continued since Awami League鈥檚 assuming power, and the cries of many people were behind 鈥榯oday鈥檚 victory鈥�, he said.
He said that, at this moment, it was necessary to create an environment for election by taking everyone鈥檚 opinion.
鈥楿nity is needed at this moment. The plot is underway. The work that the interim government is undertaking should be done with patience and tolerance. They should speedily proceed towards the elections,鈥� he said.
Referring to various campaigns against the BNP, he said that there was no way to say that the BNP and the Awami League were the same.
鈥楤NP is the party that established democracy while AL is the party that destroyed democracy,鈥� he said.
The party standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Abdul Moyeen Khan, and Salauddin Ahmed were present at the press conference, among others.
