BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said that Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, Naya Diganta owner Mir Quasem Ali, and BNP Standing Committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury were sentenced to death in fabricated cases.
Speaking at the 21st founding anniversary of the Daily Naya Diganta at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka, Fakhrul said, "The nation has not forgotten the fascist government's repression against pro-democracy people. Six million BNP workers have been falsely accused, and more than 20,000 leaders and activists have been killed or gone missing."
"Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Nizami, Mir Quasem Ali, Salauddin Quader and many scholars and religious leaders were given the death penalty in false cases, a shameful chapter in our history," he added.
Fakhrul emphasised that Naya Diganta symbolises the struggle during fascist rule, highlighting the torture and oppression journalists, editors, and workers faced, yet they continued objective journalism with patience and responsibility.
Recalling past repression, he said, "After the establishment of Baksal in 1975, all newspapers were shut down. Many journalists became unemployed or worked as hawkers in front of Baitul Mukarram." He praised BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for introducing and continuing key democratic reforms.
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed stressed the importance of unity among political parties to prevent the return of fascism.
"If our disunity opens the door for the fascist Awami League, the nation will never forgive us," he said. Salahuddin called on all parties to honor the sacrifices of the student-led mass uprising and work together to build a strong democratic state and society.
Recalling personal struggles, Salahuddin shared, "For writing a few columns, I had to live in exile for nearly nine and a half years, endure torture at Aynaghar, and spend time in prison." He urged the media to play a constructive role in building democracy through responsible journalism.
