Mob violence has divided the entire nation; the interim government must take responsibility

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has held the government fully responsible for the mob violence, vandalism, and arson carried out by supporters across the country following the death of Inqilab Mancha convener Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi. He made these remarks while strongly condemning the attacks on various institutions, including the national dailies Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, as well as on eminent journalists.

In a post published early Friday morning (19 December) on his verified Facebook page, Mirza Fakhrul said that Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign state. Ensuring the safety of life and property of every citizen of this country is the responsibility of the current government. However, at a time when the grief-stricken nation is praying for the forgiveness of Shahid Hadi’s soul, despicable and planned attacks have been carried out on the media and journalists.

He wrote, “I strongly protest the terrorist attacks that have been carried out on institutions including The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, and on eminent journalists including Nurul Kabir and many others. The government must take full responsibility for these incidents.”

The BNP Secretary General further said that those who wait to exploit the country’s crisis are the ones involved in such destructive activities. “They are enemies of this country. They have turned today’s moment of mourning into an opportunity for terror and destruction,” he stated.

Referring to Hadi’s political role, Mirza Fakhrul said that he was an election candidate and went door to door among the people. He also expressed the expectation that elections will be held in Bangladesh and that a democratic government will be established by the people. At the same time, he demanded swift justice for the killers of Shahid Hadi and for everyone involved in mob violence.

Mirza Fakhrul said, “Various incidents of mob violence that have taken place for more than nearly a year have divided the entire nation.” He commented that after the fall of the Awami League government, the first and foremost responsibility of the current government is to unite the nation and build a democratic, stable, and inclusive society.

In the final part of his post, he called on all political and social forces to work together responsibly and demanded that the government take effective measures without delay.