BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has questioned why there is unnecessary wrangling over the party’s election symbol, the sheaf of paddy. Without naming anyone, he said, “We never obstructed your symbol. The Election Commission will decide and provide your party’s symbol, that’s their decision.”

He made these remarks as the chief guest at a commemorative event marking the 35th martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Naziruddin Jehad, a leader of the 1990 anti-autocracy movement. The event was held on Friday at the Ramna Engineers’ Institution auditorium in Dhaka and organized by the Shaheed Jehad Memorial Council.

The National Citizens Party (NCP) has requested the water lily as their election symbol, but the Election Commission rejected their demand. On Thursday, NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary reiterated their request at a meeting with the Election Commission, saying, “Either we must get the water lily symbol, or the sheaf of paddy and golden jute symbols must be removed.” He added, “NCP will not register without the water lily symbol.”

Mirza Fakhrul said, “Some individuals or parties are issuing threats, saying that if they don’t get a certain symbol, they won’t participate in the election, or a specific symbol won’t be allowed. We never said that anyone can’t be given a symbol. So why the unnecessary tug-of-war over BNP’s sheaf of paddy?”

He described the sheaf of paddy as unstoppable, emphasizing, “Wherever you go across the villages, the only slogan is ‘Plant paddy, plant paddy.’ That’s the main challenge. This is why the sheaf of paddy must not be stopped. If BNP’s sheaf of paddy wins, the enemies of Bangladesh will inevitably be defeated in all their conspiracies.”

Referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a “monster,” Mirza Fakhrul said, “She didn’t leave for Delhi arbitrarily; we created the conditions for it. Through 15 years of struggle, hard work, and sacrifices, we built this foundation.”

He also remarked, “Democracy isn’t achieved by occasional leaps. To build democracy, one must work hard, make sacrifices, and reach out to the people. BNP is a party that goes to the people to uphold democracy.”

Fakhrul criticized attempts to monopolize the bureaucracy, saying, “We see attempts to bring the bureaucracy under one party’s control. We will not tolerate this. During elections, the bureaucracy and administration must remain fully neutral. No party should influence them.”

In his speech, BNP Chairperson’s adviser Amanullah Aman recalled Shaheed Naziruddin Jehad’s contributions, saying, “Back then, in front of the invincible Bangla at Dhaka University, we laid Jehad’s body and vowed to overthrow autocracy. The next day, the police baton-charged during a hartal. Despite injuries, we went to the Shaheed Minar to renew our pledge. Ultimately, we succeeded in toppling autocracy.”

The event was presided over by BNP Joint Secretary Khairul Kabir Khokon and also included speeches by party leaders, including Asaduzzaman Ripon.