Thousands of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leaders and activists gather at Shahbagh crossing in Dhaka to attend a protest march, demanding an end to mob violence and disruption of the academic environment at educational institutions, on Monday. | Sony Ramani

































The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Monday alleged that the murder of Lal Chand Sohag in Dhaka’s Mitford area was being deliberately used by vested interests as part of a calculated plan to derail the upcoming national elections and obstruct the country’s democratic transition.

At a press conference at the BNP chair’s office at Gulshan in the capital, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir claimed that the incident appeared to have been deliberately politicised to tarnish the image of the BNP and its senior leadership, including acting chair Tarique Rahman.


Later, in the day, BNP leaders in a public meeting also said that certain political quarters and vested  interests had been attempting to obstruct the electoral process since the meeting between BNP acting chair Tarique Rahman and the interim government chief adviser in London, where it was confirmed that the next general elections would be held in mid February 2026.

They made the allegation at the gathering held before a protest march, organised by the Dhaka Metropolitan North and South units of the BNP in front of the party’s central office at Naya Paltan, condemning the propaganda against Tarique Rahman and demanding exemplary punishment to those involved in the murder of Lal Chand.

At the rally, Fakhrul said that those who stood against Tarique Rahman were enemies of democracy and those who opposed the BNP were likewise enemies of democracy.

During the press briefing, the BNP secretary general said that despite not being in power, attempts were being made to unjustly blame the BNP and its top leadership, which raises questions if the political climate is once again heading towards fascism.

The BNP secretary general said that there was enough reason to believe that the murder was being exploited as part of a larger plan to create unrest and disrupt the electoral environment.

Mirza Fakhrul described the development as a ‘despicable attempt’ to unjustly malign the country’s largest political party.

He said that a certain group was attempting to divert attention from the real issue by spreading propaganda against the BNP in a systematic manner.

‘Such tactics raise serious questions if the country is heading back to a period of fascism,’ Fakhrul said.

He told the media that the party had decided to form an investigation and fact-finding committee consisting of suitable individuals, who would probe the underlying causes of the killing and present their findings to the public.

Expressing the party’s determination, Mirza Fakhrul said that the BNP would resist efforts to derail the political atmosphere and obstruct the path to national elections.

He also mentioned that the concerns expressed by the victim’s family regarding inconsistencies in the official case report, criticising the law enforcement agencies for their failure to identify or arrest the individuals directly involved in the crime.

Reiterating the party’s official stance, Fakhrul said that no criminal act should be associated with party affiliation, and that the BNP had already taken organisational action against individuals named in the case, despite the absence of any concrete evidence linking them to the murder.

Lal Chand, who was also an activist of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, was hit and hacked to death with concrete boulders near Gate 3 of Mitford Hospital on July 9.

 A video clip of the killing went viral on social media and sparked nationwide outrage.

His elder sister has filed a murder case with the Kotwali police station accusing 19 known people and 15 to 20 unknown others while police have filed a separate case under the Arms Act over the killing.

Five members of BNP’s Youth, Volunteer, and Student wings, those facing accusations had been expelled from the party.

Nevertheless, the BNP secretary general alleged, a certain faction is continuing a coordinated effort to vilify the party and its leadership.

Pointing to a wave of online campaigns that began shortly after the incident, Fakhrul claimed that protest materials and social media graphics had been prepared in advance, which indicated premeditated propaganda.

The BNP leader further said that the real intentions of those conspiring against the nation’s democratic future had now been revealed, criticisising what he said the government’s indifference to addressing the growing trend of uncivilised politics.

Mirza Fakhrul urged all political parties to recognise the dangers posed by the current political deterioration and warned that if democracy was further obstructed through undemocratic practices, the consequences would fall squarely on those responsible.

He said that the BNP, which had long been associated with the country’s independence, sovereignty, and democratic values, was now facing a deliberate and targeted attack.

He warned that Bangladesh should not fall victim to those plotting to divide the nation and derail its democratic journey.

Fakhrul affirmed that the BNP, in alliance with the democratic forces and the youth of the country, would stand firm against any fascist conspiracies.

At the Naya Paltan rally, the BNP secretary general said that their only aim now was to ensure that the elections in Bangladesh took place in mid-February, 2026.

He urged everyone to remain patient and face the situation with resilience.

Criticising the Bangladesh Islami Andolan, BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas said that this party seemed comfortable accepting Awami League’s rule, but they could not tolerate the BNP under any circumstances.

Indicating the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Abbas alleged that the party regarded the BNP as their only real obstacle to establishing their dominance, and that their ultimate aim was to eliminate the BNP entirely in order to rule the country unchallenged.

Commenting on the party’s exiled acting chair, Abbas said that Tarique would return to Bangladesh, no one would be able to stop him.

However, he expressed concern that recent remarks made and positions taken by certain groups posed a threat to Tarique’s safety, saying that it was evident they could not accept his presence.

Meanwhile, BNP student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal on Monday held a protest march against attempts by ‘secret groups’ to create mob unrest, disrupt the academic environment in educational institutions, and disrupt the law and order across the country.

Speaking to reporters in front of the BNP central office in Naya Paltan ahead of the protest march, Chhatra Dal general secretary Nasir Uddin alleged that undercover operatives of Islami Chhatra Shibir were trying to create unrest and mislead general students by inciting confusion.



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