Western world still in favour of free, fair polls in Bangladesh: Fakhrul

The Western world has not changed their position regarding Bangladesh, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday (May 15).

The BNP leader said US Assistant Secretary Donald Lu is visiting Bangladesh as part of "maintaining continuity of diplomatic relations" between Dhaka and Washington.
"The Western world is in favour of a free, fair and impartial parliamentary election in Bangladesh. They are not against the people of this country. They are maintaining diplomatic relations with the present government in Bangladesh as they did it even during the military governments in the past," he said.

Mirza Fakhrul was talking to journalists after holding a meeting with Gano Forum and People's Party at the BNP Chairperson's political office at Gulshan in the capital on Wednesday (May 15).

Terming the Awami League-led government as a "fascist one," he said, "The government has adopted all kinds of ill tactics to cling to power at any cost. They have destroyed all the state institutions to stay in power undermining the spirit of the War of Liberation of 1971. They have turned the entire state machinery into a one-party system. They have created a reign of terrorism in the country. Amid this situation, they are holding upazila elections which have been boycotted by common people."

According to the BNP leader, country's people now want a free, fair and inclusive general election. They want to give their opinions through a non-party, neutral election. "We --63 political parties are now on the street to realise the demands of the country's people. This government has clinged to power illegally," he said.

Gano Forum general secretary Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, executive president Jaglul Haider Afrik, Mohiuddin Abdul Kader, Bangladesh People's Party chairman Babul Sarder Chakhari, co-chairman Parveen Naser Khan Bhasani, AR Zafar Ullah Chowdhury and BNP vice-chairman Barkat Ullah Bulu, among others, were present at that time.