Dhaka: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said that holding a separate referendum would cost an additional Taka one thousand crore. He emphasized that the referendum should coincide with the national election to avoid this extra expenditure.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Fakhrul made these remarks as the chief guest at a discussion organized by Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal at the National Press Club. The event also featured speeches from BNP Standing Committee Member Major (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, with Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal President Syed Ishtiaq Aziz Ulfat presiding.
The BNP Secretary General stated that if the election had occurred within three months of the uprising, the “evil forces would not have dared to rise again.” He reiterated the party’s commitment to reforms, noting that their 31-point agenda outlines these changes. Fakhrul stressed that the next parliament would decide on implementing Proportional Representation (PR) and accused some of misleading the public by claiming elections can’t happen without PR.
Fakhrul also highlighted the contributions of the party’s founder, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, to the Liberation War and nation-building post-independence. He criticized forces that opposed independence in 1971 for attempting to diminish its history, emphasizing that the year 1971 is the nation’s birthplace.
Commenting on the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent activities, Fakhrul said, “Sheikh Hasina is giving interviews to various media outlets while sitting in India. I want to request the Indian government to hand over Sheikh Hasina because she needs to face justice.”