BNP Secretary General and LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said those who seek to erase the memory of the 1971 Liberation War do not believe in Bangladesh.

“I always say one thing: those who want to forget 1971, or want others to forget it, do not believe in Bangladesh. Because, to believe in Bangladesh, we must keep 1971 at the forefront. We will move forward with that,” he said.

Fakhrul made the remarks while addressing a discussion with Hindu religious leaders at the Institution of Diploma Engineers auditorium in the capital’s Kakrail.

The discussion and representatives’ conference, titled “Protection and Security of Minorities”, was organised by the Sammilita Sanatan Parishad, a platform of the Hindu community.

Speaking as chief guest, Fakhrul said keeping the spirit of 1971 at the forefront does not mean sidelining the 2024 mass uprising. Both 1971 and the July uprising must remain central to the country’s political journey.

“We cannot deny July either. Many of our children gave their lives to establish democracy in Bangladesh. They forced a fascist government to leave the country.”

Fakhrul alleged that a group is deliberately trying to divide the country in the name of religion and urged people to resist such attempts.

“We cannot allow extremism here. We cannot allow fundamentalism. We want to build a liberal and democratic Bangladesh,” he said.

He said people of all faiths have equal rights in Bangladesh and that the BNP does not consider anyone a “minority”.

He urged members of the Hindu community to remain vocal in asserting their rights.

Thanking the community for supporting the BNP in the last national election, Fakhrul said the party will sincerely work to address their concerns.

He also urged Hindu community representatives to maintain communication and dialogue with the BNP.