BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas said, “I’m amazed when some young men ask, ‘What have you done in 17 years?’ For all those years, we were watering the roots of the tree to soften the ground. And now, you're sitting on its branches and enjoying the fruit.”
He made these comments on Thursday afternoon while speaking at a rally in Nayapaltan, Dhaka, marking International Workers’ Day (May Day). The program was organized by the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, the workers' wing of the BNP.
Mirza Abbas remarked, “People often claim that BNP has done nothing in the past 17 years. But can anyone really say that BNP leaders and activists haven't been to jail? Even Tarique Rahman was imprisoned. It's shocking that some people say BNP hasn't done anything in all this time. Those who say this are completely lost in a world of lies. They simply don’t want to acknowledge BNP's sacrifices or give the party any credit.”
He further warned, “Don’t try to grab all the credit for yourself—doing so will only lead to the country’s ruin. There are even darker days ahead for the nation.” He also added, “While we protest against fascists, we must take care not to turn into fascists ourselves. I’ll say it again—while fighting to remove fascists, we have to make sure we’re not becoming fascists in the process. When I speak, I don’t speak just for BNP—I speak for everyone.”
