BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said democracy has rarely been practised in Bangladesh.

“It’s unfortunate that democracy has rarely been practised in Bangladesh. Perhaps this stems from the legacy of Pakistan politics…..We saw democracy being practised only for a short time, and then we went far away from this practice again,” he said.

Fakhrul made the remarks while addressing the closing ceremony of a national debate competition titled ‘Civil Discourse National 2025’, organised by The Bangladesh Dialogue and Dhaka College Debating Society at Abdul Karim Sahityabisharad Auditorium of Bangla Academy in the capital.

He said BNP believes in liberal democracy where freedom of speech must be guaranteed.

“We believe in liberal democracy. We believe I must have the freedom to speak. And you (dissidents) must have the freedom to speak. That is the essence of a functioning democracy,” he said.