BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that the only way to restore democracy in Bangladesh is through elections. He stated, “No matter how many reforms we make or how many intellectual strategies we devise, unless a government is established through elections, we cannot return to democracy. The only way to restore a democratic system is through a free, fair, and impartial election. There is no alternative path to democracy.”

He made these remarks on Friday at a discussion meeting held at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in Dhaka. The event was organized to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Naziruddin Jehad, who was killed during the anti-autocracy movement. Leaders of the All-Party Student Unity, who played a key role in the 1990 mass uprising, also attended the discussion.

“The people of Bangladesh are freedom-loving and democracy-loving,” Fakhrul said. “They have fought, struggled, and shed blood for independence. Unfortunately, they have stumbled time and again in that struggle. Yet every time they fell, they rose again—through movement and struggle, they achieved victory.”

He added, “The monster Hasina has destroyed everything in the country—the judiciary, the administration, the electoral system, our economy, health, and education—all have been wrecked by her.”

Commenting on some groups claiming the July movement as their own, Fakhrul said, “BNP has been fighting for democracy for a long time.”

Responding to a statement by Nasir Uddin Patwari, chief coordinator of the SNIP, who said that if their party is not given the ‘Shapla’ (water lily) symbol, BNP’s ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ symbol should be cancelled, Fakhrul remarked, “Brother, we have not objected to your symbol. The Election Commission will decide which symbol you get. Why this unnecessary tug-of-war over BNP’s ‘Sheaf of Paddy’? Because the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ is unstoppable. Across the country, people are chanting slogans for the ‘Sheaf of Paddy.’”