<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday urged the interim government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus to create a conducive environment for holding a national election as soon as possible.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He also expressed hope that the new interim government will be able to arrange a free and fair election to establish an elected government.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I request them (interim government) to create proper ground for an election as soon as possible,” the BNP leader said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said the election is necessary to arrange after overcoming all dangers to build a genuinely free Bangladesh and establish a government of people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fakhrul made these remarks while speaking to reporters after placing a wreath at the grave of Arafat Rahman Koko, the late younger son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, at Banani Graveyard on the occasion of his 55th birth anniversary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He also urged the people of the country to remain vigilant against any attempts by the ousted autocrat to undermine the students and popular movement for change.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I ask all of you to be very vigilant to free the country from the fear of counter-revolution, and take all measures to resist the conspiracy that was started (by the fallen dictator) staying on the streets... This is my expectation from the people,” said Fakhrul Islam.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina's speech is a hollow sound:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When his attention was drawn to Sheikh Hasina’s remark published in an Indian media that she was ousted because she had not agree to give (USA) St. Martin island, the BNP Secretary General said, "Bakowaz (a hollow sound). It is her characteristic to blame others when she fails.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I want to make it clear that it was a spontaneous mass upsurge of the students, the people and citizens... Now our only task is to consolidate that mass upsurge,” he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Citing that Sheikh Hasina and her men are&nbsp; now trying to mislead the people, the BNP leader called upon the people not to be misled rather work unitedly to consolidate the freedom that was achieved through this mass upsurge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">About Indian media reports over attacks on minorities, Mirza Fakhrul said these are vague propaganda. “They are running this false, fabricated, baseless propaganda to undermine this mass upsurge of Bangladesh and make this newly formed interim government a failure,” he said, adding that he believes that the people of Bangladesh and the world won't trust it (the propaganda).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier in the morning, thousands of BNP leaders and activists gathered at Banani graveyard as wreaths were placed at the Koko's grave by different Dhaka city units of BNP and its associate bodies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Begum Khaleda Zia’s youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko was born on August 12, 1969.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The BNP Secretary General praised Arafat Rahman Koko's role in the field of sports.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said Koko had succumbed to torture. He had to go abroad due to the torture of the one-eleven government and later died without treatment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council members Amanullah Aman, Abdus Salam and Farhad Halim Donar, BNP Central leaders Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Shamimur Rahman Shamim, Rafique Sikder and SM Jahangir, Jumbo Dal leader Nurul Islam Nayan, and BNP Dhaka city unit leader Saiful Islam Nirob, among others, were present.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>