The country will no longer allow any dictatorship to take root, BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman said on Tuesday, asserting that democracy will be upheld and the country will not be reduced to a servile state again.
"Never again will Bangladesh allow dictatorship to rise. Democracy will be protected, and no one will be allowed to turn the country into a subservient state again," the BNP leader said in a pre-recorded speech shared on Facebook this morning (5 August) on the occasion of the first anniversary of the student-people uprising of 2024.
He also said that the people of Bangladesh will enjoy 5 August, a public holiday from now on, as "Mass Uprising Day", celebrating what he called the end of fascist rule in Bangladesh.
"Exactly one year ago from today, on this day in 2024, fascist Hasina fled the country. The nation was freed from the grip of a monster. For the freedom-loving, democracy-loving people, this day is one of joy and victories."
During the movement against fascism, which lasted for more than fifteen years, Tarique said lakhs of leaders and activists from BNP and other pro-democracy parties were made to suffer terribly as the country was turned into a hell.
"Due to hundreds of false cases, millions of opposition leaders and supporters were forced to leave their homes. Many even lost their family ties," he said.
He accused the Awami fascist regime of destroying key national institutions like the judiciary and the Election Commission, rigging elections and undermining the constitution.
The BNP leader also blamed the Sheikh Hasina regime for ruining the economy, looting the banking sector and siphoning off nearly Tk28 lakh crore abroad from the country.
Tarique praised the people's courage during the uprising in July and August 2024, saying, "People from all walks of life—students, workers, farmers, journalists, women, even mothers—joined the streets to fight for democracy. The regime used helicopters to shoot at protesters. Many children and young people lost their lives."
He said more than 1,500 people were killed and at least 30,000 were injured in the uprising, while hundreds became permanently disabled or lost their eyesight.
He also called for unity among all political parties, as he cautioned against political rifts paving the way for anti-democratic outcomes.
"Different parties may have different views and goals. That's the beauty of democracy. But disagreements must not allow extremism or dictatorship to return."
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