Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the Secretary-General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has urged law enforcement officers not to harass people from minority communities. He made the call on Monday while speaking at a meeting held at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan, Dhaka.
Leaders from the Matua community, Shri Guru Sangha, Sanatan Sewa Ashram, and Hindu Sangha Samiti were present. Fakhrul assured them that the BNP stood firmly with minority citizens. “No one should harass anyone from these communities. We stand beside them and will remain beside them with all our strength,” he said.
He told minority leaders that the BNP would continue to protect their rights. “From now on, you will find us beside you. We are with you, and we will remain with you,” Fakhrul said.
The BNP leader warned that “some people are trying to destroy the unity” built during the Liberation War of 1971 and the popular uprising of 2024. He said propaganda and misinformation were being spread to divide citizens.
Fakhrul’s comments came at a time when reports of violence against religious minorities continue to emerge. Rights organizations say many homes, temples, and businesses belonging to Hindu and Buddhist families have been attacked since last year’s political turmoil. In some cases, mobs acted in the presence of law enforcement, according to activists.
At the same event, Fakhrul recalled the BNP’s 2016 proposal to build a “rainbow state” — a nation where all communities could live together peacefully. “We believe in a non-communal Bangladesh,” he said. The BNP, he added, was committed to equal access to education, healthcare, and jobs for everyone.
Later that day, he spoke at another program and expressed disappointment over the growing divisions among political parties after the July uprising. “After the mass uprising, there was a great opportunity to rebuild the country beautifully,” he said. “But now we see our politicians losing unity. That’s why many people are frustrated.”
Bangladesh has been under an army- and Islamist-backed interim government since August 2024, following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Human rights groups have accused the current authorities of widespread abuses, including killings, arrests, and harassment of minorities and opposition supporters.
Fakhrul’s call for restraint highlights a key issue in Bangladesh’s turbulent politics. His statement seeks to position the BNP as a party of inclusion and tolerance, at a moment when the nation remains divided.
Whether his words lead to action will depend on how law enforcement and the interim government respond — and whether political leaders can unite behind a shared vision of justice and equality for all citizens.
