Controversy over Fakhrul’s interview sparks reactions from Jamaat and NCP

PARBATTANEWS DESK

BNP no longer considers the National Citizen Party (NCP) a political force and says it will not allow Jamaat-e-Islami to dominate its politics again. Party leaders admit they had given Jamaat more importance than it deserved.

The remarks were attributed to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in an interview published on Monday by Ei Samay, a Bengali newspaper based in Kolkata, India. The newspaper’s online edition carried the interview under the headline “Why is India putting BNP and Jamaat in the same bracket, asks Mirza”.

The interview has since triggered uproar and controversy across Bangladesh’s political arena. Jamaat-e-Islami strongly condemned parts of the publication, while NCP leaders also voiced criticism.

BNP Denies Remarks

BNP leaders, however, said the interview was presented inaccurately. They claimed the publication was misleading and did not reflect statements actually made by the party’s secretary general.

Mirza Fakhrul, currently visiting the United States alongside Interim Government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, denied giving the remarks attributed to him. BNP leaders stressed that he did not make the comments reported in Ei Samay.

Election Questions

The published interview began with questions about the upcoming national election, scheduled for February next year. Asked whether the polls would be held on time, Mirza Fakhrul was quoted as saying: “The election will be held next February. There is no room for doubt. There will be no unrest. People want their voting rights restored, they want elections. The February election will be like a festival.”

On Jamaat’s demand for a proportional representation (PR) system, and NCP’s call to abolish the constitution in favour of a Constituent Assembly election, Fakhrul was quoted as saying: “Jamaat will come to the election. There will be no PR system, but in the traditional system of voting that people understand, Bangladesh’s election will be held. You will see Jamaat also participating. And we no longer consider NCP as any force. It is true that these students once lit the spark in the powder keg of protest against Sheikh Hasina. Now they have nothing left. Even if they call, people don’t come.”

The interview also quoted him as saying that NCP’s only goal was to prevent BNP from forming a government.

Jamaat Seat-Sharing Allegations

The interview claimed Jamaat had asked BNP for 30 seats in the upcoming election. But, according to the published remarks, BNP did not show interest in it.

“I assure you, we will no longer let Jamaat climb on our heads,” Fakhrul was quoted as saying. “They are not such a big force, we unnecessarily gave them more importance. There will be no PR—all these are strategies to create pressure on BNP. But Jamaat is preparing for the election, announcing candidates in different places. In reality, people strongly want elections in the country. The army wants it, Interim Government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus also wants it.”

Relations with Jamaat

Asked whether BNP and Jamaat’s names are linked because of 25 years of cooperation, Fakhrul reportedly replied: “Wrong. Awami League has made India believe this propaganda. They were only electoral allies. They do religious politics, we do not. Actually, by looking at Bangladesh through Awami spectacles, India made the mistake. They did not keep communication with others. Today, the mountain of anger against Awami League has turned into intense anti-India sentiment.”

Participation of Other Parties

The interview also addressed whether parties allied with Awami League, such as JASAD or the Workers’ Party, would contest the election. Fakhrul was quoted as saying: “We said Awami League and all their allies, even National Party, should take part in the election. Let there be a fair and free election. For this, many are abusing me, calling me India’s agent, Awami stooge. But why should we repeat Sheikh Hasina’s misdeeds? For 15 years Hasina did not let the opposition even contest elections, and she got her punishment. If we do the same, we too will face consequences. But people have seen so much blood, so much loss of life—there is anti-Awami sentiment among them.”

BNP Media Cell Response

Following the publication, various parts of the interview were circulated in the media and on social platforms. This prompted widespread political debate.

On Tuesday afternoon, BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan told journalists that he had spoken with Mirza Fakhrul about the matter. According to Kabir, the BNP leader denied making the statements attributed to him. He added that reports carried in Bangladesh based on the Ei Samay interview were “false and misleading.”

Jamaat’s Protest

Jamaat-e-Islami issued a strong protest against the interview. In a statement, party Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said BNP’s secretary general had spoken “in a disparaging way” about Jamaat’s politics and organizational status.

He described the remarks as “completely false, disrespectful, and vindictive,” adding that they “do not match truth or propriety.”

“If these remarks are indeed his, then we are compelled to protest and condemn them,” Porwar said. “If they are his, then we call on him to present proof before the nation of to whom Jamaat-e-Islami made such seat demands.”

Rejecting the claim that Jamaat asked BNP for 30 seats, he added: “At present, Jamaat-e-Islami has not the remotest connection with the politics of asking for seats from anyone.” He also urged BNP’s secretary general to refrain from making “false and misleading” comments in future.

NCP Reaction

NCP also responded to the interview. Party convener Nahid Islam said whether NCP is a political force or not will be determined “on the streets and in the election field” by the people.

Speaking in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon during a press conference about the harassment of the party’s Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain at New York airport, Nahid criticised those attempting to involve Awami League in the next election.

“We see that on one side Awami League is committing terrorist activities, and on the other side some politicians are conspiring to bring Awami League into the election,” he said. “We want to say clearly: there is no chance of bringing Awami League into the election or rehabilitating Awami League in politics. Those who try to do this, the people will stand against them. Their politics will vanish from Bangladesh.”