Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today described democracy and BNP as synonymous words saying the party was first to introduce a caretaker government system for establishing democracy.
 
"Many of our leaders and activists were killed in the past 16 years. Many others were exiled for establishing democracy. We should not let this achieved democracy go in vain," he said.
 
Mirza Fakhrul said this while presiding over a massive rally in front of the party's Nayapaltan central office in the capital marking the International Day of Democracy.
 
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman addressed the rally as the chief guest joining it virtually.
 
The BNP secretary general said many officials of the fascist regime are still holding their chairs and hatching conspiracies to impede the process of establishing democracy.
 
He urged the interim government to immediately remove them from their chairs.
 
BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said people's rights have not been established yet.
 
He urged the government to make the reforms required for holding a free, fair and neutral election within a quickest possible time.
 
Another BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas said, "I had suffered jail terms in a cooked case. We will definitely hold its trial. Awami League leaders are being arrested in the past couple of days. Angry mobs are beating them wherever they are found. I was arrested 34 times in the last 17 years. But, we were received with flowers. We were going to jail as heroes and walking out of the jail like heroes."
 
BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan said, "The history which was written in Bangladesh by the freedom-loving student-people, would be written in golden words around the globe. The autocrat Hasina had been washed away by the wave of the student-people. The BNP has supported the student-people and will do the same in future. But, the first mandate election must have to give in due time alongside holding trial of the torture and repression in the last 16 years."
 
A temporary stage was erected centering the rally. The leaders and workers have gathered at the rally venue with small processions ignoring the scorching hit.