Taking a vow to take revenge for the murder of Noor-e- Alam and Abdur Rahim who were killed in police firing in Bhola, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday urged the party rank and file to take to movement instated of shedding tears to save the nation from the ‘fascist’ rule of Awami League.
“No more crying, we have to wake up now holding back tears as the nation must be saved from the oppression of this horrible authoritarian fascist government,” he said.
Fakhrul made the remarks in a brief address prior to a namaz-e-Janaza of Bhola District unit Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal president Noor-e-Alam in front of BNP’s Naya Paltan central office.
Noor-e-Alam who sustained bullet wounds during a clash between police and BNP activists on Sunday in Bhola, died at a hospital in the capital on Wednesday, raising the death toll from the incident to two.
Earlier on Sunday, Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim died as police fired bullets at a rally of BNP in Bhola.
Fakhrul said their party leaders and activists must continue their struggle by turning their grief into strength to restore democracy, free Khaleda Zia from jail and get rid of 3.5 million cases filed against them.
He said their party will wage a strong movement in a peaceful manner by organising and uniting the entire nation to oust the current government. “We will take revenge for the killing of our sons, our brothers Noor-e-Alam and Abdur Rahim by creating a mass movement.”
In an emotion-choked voice, the BNP leader said there is no greater pain than bearing the dead body of a son on the shoulder of a father.
“We are seeing in front of us the body of our son Bhola Chhatra Dal president Nur-e-Alam as he was shot dead by the police forces of this fascist Awami League government. Our Bhola district Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim was also shot dead while 19 more people are fighting for lives at hospitals in Dhaka and Barisal,” he said.
Fakhrul said the killing of BNP leaders and activists by the current regime is nothing new. “The Awami League government has killed over a thousand leaders and activists of ours and made around 600 others disappear over the last 15 years to cement a one-party rule.”
The body of Noor-e-Alam was brought to Naya Paltan central office from the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 12:45pm after conducting an autopsy. Many JCD leaders and activists were seen crying as the body arrived there.
Fakhrul along with party senior leaders paid homage to Noor-e-Alam by placing wreaths on his coffin and draping it with the party flag.
Later, his namaz-e-Janaza was held in front of the BNP office and then the body was sent to Bhola for burial.
As part of BNP’s countrywide demonstration programme protesting the ongoing load shedding and mismanagement in the power sector, the leaders and activists of the party gathered in front of their district party office in Bhola on Sunday last.
At one stage, police obstructed them when they tried to stage demonstrations at Kalinath Roy Bazar around 11:30am, triggering a clash.
Later, police fired bullets and lobbed teargas shells that left Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim dead and some other leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies, including Noor-e-Alam, injured.
Three day mourning
Mirza Fakhrul announced a three-day mourning beginning from Friday in memory of Noor-e-Alam and Abdur Rahim.
During the mourning, he said, black flags will be hoisted and the party flag will be kept at half-mast atop all BNP offices across the country. Doa mahfil will be arranged seeking the salvation of the departed souls of the two slain leaders.
Besides, he said JCD, Krishak Dal and Jubo Dal will stage rallies on 6, 7 and 8 August respectively in protest against their killing.