BNP Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie. File Photo

DHAKA, June 20, 2025 (BSS) – BNP Joint Secretary General and Member Secretary of the party’s media cell Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie has said that those who raised voices against authoritarianism were systematically silenced through imprisonment and oppression.

“Those who spoke out against fascists were thrown into jail and persecuted,” he said at a discussion titled ‘Role of Media and Political Leadership in Restoring Democracy’, organized by the Jagannath University Journalists’ Association today.

Paying tribute to the leaders and martyrs of the July movement, Annie emphasized that it was not a spontaneous event but a mass uprising shaped by collective sacrifice and struggle.

“Everyone’s sweat and sacrifice were part of that movement. It was a fight for a new Bangladesh,” he said.

“We want justice for the crimes of this fascist regime. Reform is a continuous process, and we must now strengthen our unity,” he added.

Annie also highlighted the BNP’s 31-point reform agenda announced by Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, stating that the goal is not just electoral participation but the broader restructuring of the state.

Jagannath University Journalists’ Association President Imran Hossain chaired the event.