Diplomatic Correspondent: The BNP hosted an iftar party on Thursday at a hotel in Dhaka in honour of foreign diplomats stationed in Bangladesh. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP Secretary General told envoys the party has been carrying out a fight against the ‘autocratic’ rule of the Awami League.

Ambassadors, high commissioners, mission chiefs, chargé d`affaires and other envoys from different countries attended the iftar.

Before iftar, the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir exchanged pleasantries with the guests.

In a brief address, he said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia used to host an iftar for foreign diplomats during Ramadan every year, but she has been serving jail terms on “fake and false” charges.

He also said acting chairman Tarique Rahman has also been in exile in London facing “false” charges. “So we are observing the holy Ramadan this year with a heavy heart.” The BNP leader said their party has been carrying out a fight against the current “autocratic” regime for the restoration of democracy.

He said the party`s 17 leaders and activists have already sacrificed their lives in the ongoing movement while 3.5 million others have been facing “false and fake” cases.

Fakhrul said several hundred leaders and activists of the BNP became victims of enforced disappearances while over 1,000 were killed during the tenure of the current “autocratic” Awami League government for raising the demand for the restoration of democracy.

 “At this moment before iftar, we pray for freedom, democracy, peace and prosperity for the people of the world, especially for the people of Bangladesh,” he said. A prayer was offered before iftar seeking divine blessings for the peace and progress of the country and the welfare of its people.

Foreign envoys from 30 countries, including US Ambassador Peter Haas, British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson, Russian ambassador Alexander V Mantitsky, Pakistani High Commissioner Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Iranian Ambassador Mansour Chavoshi and Deputy High Commissioner of India Binoy George, and the representatives from the UN, European Union and different international bodies participated in the program.

Educationists AFM Yusuf Haider, Prof Mahbub Ullah, Prof Borhan Uddin, former Bangladesh Bank governor Salehuddin Ahmed, Manabzamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, Inqilab Editor AMM Bahauddin, BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Dr Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Selima Rahman, and vice chairmen Abdullah Al Noman, Shahjahan Omar, Hafizuddin Ahmed, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Abdul Awal Mintoo, M Barkatullah Bulu, Mir Nasir, AZM Zahid Hossain, Ahmed Azam Khan and Netai Roy Chowdhury, among others, were present.