Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general and local government minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday called on Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami to apologise to the nation for its role during the 1971 War of Independence, saying such an apology would make the party’s political path easier.

Speaking during the general discussion on the proposed national budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the Jatiya Sangsad, Fakhrul addressed opposition lawmakers and said that they should reflect on their own political history.

He said that the time had come for the Jamaat to seek forgiveness from the people for its role in 1971.

According to Fakhrul, the party still had the opportunity to clearly explain its position on Bangladesh and acknowledge its past.

‘I have repeatedly said that you should apologise to the nation for your role in 1971,’ he said, adding that if the Jamaat openly accepted its past and apologised, it would make its future in politics much easier.

Fakhrul said that he had yet to hear a clear apology from the party or a clear explanation of its position regarding Bangladesh’s independence, arguing that its stance on the issue remained unclear.

The BNP secretary general also criticised the National Citizen Party for entering into an alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Referring to the NCP as a party formed by students and young people, he praised its performance, saying that he believed the new generation of politicians had considerable potential.

‘I sincerely hope that they succeed. But they should further clarify their political vision and ensure that they are not associated with any stigma or with groups that raise questions about the very existence and independence of Bangladesh.’

Fakhrul said he was personally disappointed that the NCP had aligned itself with a party which, in his view, had not believed in Bangladesh’s independence.

He also defended the BNP’s political legacy, saying the party had repeatedly emerged stronger during difficult periods in the country’s history.

Fakhrul said BNP founder Ziaur Rahman had led efforts to rebuild Bangladesh’s economy following the political changes of 1975 and that the party had again provided national leadership after the fall of military rule in 1990.

He said opposition lawmakers had often attempted to ignore and provoke the BNP in parliament, but insisted that the appropriate response was for them to look back at their own political history, particularly their role in 1971, and seek the nation’s forgiveness.