BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has described the upcoming 13th National Parliament election as a tough test for his party and for Bangladesh’s liberal democratic forces. Speaking on Tuesday at a discussion marking the 90th birth anniversary of BNP founder and late President Ziaur Rahman at the Diploma Engineers Institute auditorium in Dhaka, Fakhrul said the election would determine whether the country remains under liberal democratic leadership or falls into the hands of extremist and anti-state elements.

He emphasized that BNP seeks an election and will accept the people’s verdict, pledging to go to the voters with the party’s 31-point program, Tarique Rahman’s new eight-point plan, and initiatives like the Family Card and Farmers Card. Fakhrul said victory for BNP’s symbol, the paddy sheaf, would be a true tribute to Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia. He also criticized Jamaat-e-Islami’s past political role and urged all parties to practice honest politics without exploiting religion.

Fakhrul reiterated that BNP first proposed state reforms through Vision 2030 and the 31-point plan, calling reform their “brainchild” and stressing consensus for the nation’s greater interest.