In Power, the BNP Is Walking the Path of Fascism, Jamaat's Golam Parwar Tells Press Club Seminar

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar criticised the BNP, saying the party talked about democracy before coming to power but, once in power, is walking the path of autocracy and fascism.

He made the remarks on Monday (26 October) as chief guest at a seminar titled 'Blood-soaked 28 October, the Rise of Fascism: Challenges and Tasks in Building the Desired Bangladesh', organised by Jamaat-e-Islami's Dhaka Metropolitan South unit at the Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club.

Mia Golam Parwar said the BNP had also learned from the Awami League: talking about democracy before taking power, and walking the path of autocracy and fascism after taking it. In his words, they are now walking that very path.

Speaking with respect towards Tarique Rahman, he said: as prime minister, you took part in the referendum and cast your vote with your own hand. He said he did not know whether any head of government anywhere in the world had taken part in a referendum and then denied the verdict of his own vote and cancelled the referendum, and commented that history holds no precedent for such a betrayal.

Raising the July Charter, Golam Parwar said the dream of building a new state, created at the cost of more than a thousand lives and 30,000 injured, should not be shattered. His complaint was that of two votes held on the same day, the result of one is accepted while the verdict of the other is denied.

Demanding the formation of a Constitution Reform Council to implement the reforms approved in the referendum, he said taking an initiative to amend the constitution without discussion with the opposition is a fascist tendency. He also criticised the remarks the home minister made in parliament about the July Charter.

Claiming there is no fundamental difference between the Awami League and the BNP, Golam Parwar said that although the party's name has changed, activities such as extortion, killings, occupation and control of markets, schools, sand ghats and bus stands have not stopped.

Demanding justice for the killings of 28 October 2006, he said their allegation was that the case filed over that incident was withdrawn after the Awami League came to power in 2009. He also claimed the case papers could not be found afterwards.

Golam Parwar said that if the current government truly considers the Awami League a murderous party of fascist character, it must revive the case filed over the 28 October killings and arrest the culprits. He also demanded that the case papers be traced and, through a judicial investigation, those involved in the killings of Shaheed Shipon, Masum and Jasim be arrested and brought to justice.

Calling for the street movement to continue alongside the 11-party alliance until the referendum verdict takes effect, Golam Parwar said public opinion must be built through a long march and a stand taken against the government.