BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has criticized the idea that supporting Jamaat could guarantee rewards in the afterlife, saying, “If getting a Jamaat ticket ensures a ticket to paradise, they should show me where it is.”

He made these remarks on Saturday afternoon at a discussion program held at the multipurpose hall of the Diploma Engineers Institution in Kakrail, Dhaka, where he was the chief guest.

Fakhrul stressed that Islam should never be exploited for political gain. “I am raising these points because they have become an issue. Everyone talks about them, but today they need to be brought clearly before the public,” he said.

The event, titled “The Role of Mosque Based Child and Adult Education Caretakers in Promoting Ethics and Religious Values in Nation-Building”, was organized by the Mosque-Based Non-Formal Teacher Program (Moushik) Caretaker Welfare Council.

Referring to Jamaat, Fakhrul said, “This group could not establish itself politically on its own. Ziaur Rahman gave them the opportunity to enter politics. Initially, they came under the name IDL (Islamic Democratic League) and later collaborated with BNP. Unfortunately, in the last decade, no visible effort has been made by them to challenge the fascist rule of Hasina.”

He added, “I have heard they infiltrated Chhatra League, though I cannot confirm personally. That is not how we operate. We have fought openly and faced consequences—60 lakh people were falsely implicated in cases, 20,000 of our members killed, around 1,700 leaders and MPs abducted, and we are dealing with hundreds of cases.”

Fakhrul highlighted that former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia spent six years in prison, and Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has yet to return to the country. He urged unity among all party members to work toward free, fair, and acceptable elections for forming a democratic government.

He also criticized demands for proportional representation (PR), saying, “Some political parties are insisting that elections cannot proceed without PR. Their tone has softened now, and all parties are scrambling for elections. This is not right. The people must be properly informed, and the process must follow that guidance.”

On religious issues, Fakhrul remarked that during the Awami League government, mosque sermons were dictated in writing, calling it deeply regrettable. He condemned political interference in religious institutions, citing the appointment of party-affiliated personnel in Islamic Foundation as undermining the institution’s credibility.

He criticized PR voting proposals, arguing that ordinary people understand “one man, one vote” better than complex referendum-based systems.

The discussion was chaired by Maulana Shah Md. Nesarul Haque, Governor of Islamic Foundation, and conducted by Md. Zobaidur Rahman and Mahfuzur Rahman of the Moushik Caretaker Welfare Council.

Other speakers included Muhammad Rafiqul Islam, former director of Islamic Foundation; Shafiqul Rahman Kiran, President of Shariatpur District BNP; and Maulana Muhammad Mohiuddin, Khatib of Dhaka Residential Model College Mosque.