Leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliate organisations gathered in front of the party's central office in the capital's Nayapaltan to participate in a victory rally organised to commemorate the anniversary of the July Uprising.
The rally started from Nayapaltan on Wednesday at 4:45pm after being inaugurated virtually by Tarique Rahman, the party's acting chairperson.
He said the interim government had announced the schedule to hold national elections on August 5 with the aim of establishing a democratic government.
"The July Declaration has been issued to implement the will of the people. We welcome these initiatives. We are passing through a turning point in history. The people have had to wait for more than a decade and a half for this," Rahman said.
He also urged the leaders of the political parties to stay united.
"We will have different opinions on various issues, but there will be discussions to resolve differences. However, we need to remain united and ensure the pro-democracy political parties in the National Assembly do not stop meeting each other. I believe we all need to remain united for our national interests. Regardless of religion, philosophy, or opinion, the state belongs to all of us."
Mentioning the persecution and oppression carried out by the fascist Awami League, the BNP acting chairman said, "Regardless of which political party you are a member of, we must remember that during the fascist rule, none of us were safe. Our right to vote was taken away, all our democratic political rights were taken away, and the entire Bangladesh was turned into a barbaric prison and Aynaghar (house of mirrors)."
Calling on all citizens of the country to be vigilant about their rights, he said, "The time has come for you as a citizen, to make a decision to establish your own rights, to ensure the safety of your family and for a safe Bangladesh for the present and future generations."
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, "The election schedule has been announced, the July manifesto has been issued. Tarique Rahman's 31-point plan is going to be implemented through reforms. Let's take an oath to build a happy and prosperous Bangladesh."
BNP Standing Committee Members Salahuddin Ahmed, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Mirza Abbas, as well as Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, spoke at the rally, among others.
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