BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that BNP welcomes the July Declaration. BNP believes that the work of transforming into a new democratic Bangladesh will begin through fulfilling the commitments made by the political parties in this declaration.
He said, "We welcome the announcement to set February 2026 as the election date. BNP believes that this historic announcement will help Bangladesh overcome the political deadlock and pave the way for a transition to democracy."
Fakhrul made these remarks at a press conference held at the party chairperson's office in the capital's Gulshan on Wednesday (August 6). BNP standing committee member Salah Uddin Ahmed was present at the time.
Mirza Fakhrul said, "For 16 long years, the people of this country have fought, struggled, sacrificed their lives, been martyred, injured, and disappeared against a terrible fascist government. The fascist Hasina government has systematically taken away the right to vote of the people of this country and turned three elections into a farce, destroying democracy."
Mirza Fakhrul said at the press conference that they tried to suppress that struggle and movement through torture, torture, murder, disappearance, and murder. False cases against 6 million BNP leaders and activists, and false arrests and sentences against Begum Khaleda Zia and all top leaders including acting chairman Tarique Rahman, had become a daily occurrence.
He said, Khaleda Zia was sentenced to 10 years in a fabricated false case and kept in prison for 6 years. She was released on August 5. Many leaders, including the acting chairman, were given life sentences and opposition leaders were sent to prison for various terms. Many died in prison. They wanted to destroy BNP by leaving it leaderless. Every leader and activist fought under the leadership of the tortured, physically injured acting chairman Tarique Rahman.