The leaders of the California BNP want political rights and representation in parliament for expatriates

The leaders of the California BNP in the United States have demanded to ensure representation in parliament along with voting rights of expatriate Bangladeshis. They made this demand at a discussion meeting organized in Los Angeles on Wednesday night local time.
Speaking as the chief guest at the same meeting, Gazipur-5 (Kaliganj) Member of Parliament AKM Fazlul Haque Milon said, ‘Absolute victory can sometimes create the risk of dictatorship. So we have to be careful.
Former central president of Chhatra Dal and convener of Gazipur district BNP Fazlul Haque Milan is currently on a four-day visit to the United States. On the occasion of his visit, California BNP organized this exchange meeting with only 24 hours of preparation. The proceedings of the meeting began with the recitation of the Holy Quran at the Orchid Kitchen auditorium in the ‘Little Bangladesh’ area of Los Angeles.
The political rights and future leadership of expatriates were openly discussed in the meeting. The speakers said that expatriates are not only keeping the country’s economy running by sending expatriate income (remittance), they also want to be directly involved in the country’s political future.
In addition to ensuring voting rights, now is the time to ensure expatriate representation in Parliament. They called for removing the obligation to submit passports if they want to participate in the elections. A proposal to keep the opportunity to nominate public representatives from among expatriates was also raised in the meeting.
In response to the demands of the leaders and activists, Member of Parliament Fazlul Haque Milon assured the expatriates that he will try to raise the demands in the Parliament. Mentioning the many expectations of the people towards the present government, he said, ‘All those associated with the government must fulfill their duties with honesty and devotion. I am ready to make all kinds of sacrifices to do the work that the people have elected me with in a fair and beautiful manner.
The recent political situation was also discussed in the meeting. Some speakers commented that the country has suffered more damage than the last 15 months. Apart from this, a strict stand was demanded against the use of indecent language and taunts on social media.
Speakers praised BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tariq Rahman’s experience of 17 years of expatriate life and referred to him as an ‘expatriate-friendly leader’. At this time, remembering the 49 years of Fazlul Haque Milan’s political struggle, the leaders and workers of California BNP expressed their hope to see him in more important positions at the national level and in the cabinet in the future.
California BNP president Badrul Alam Chowdhury (Shiplu) presided over the meeting and General Secretary M Wahid Rahman moderated the meeting, BNP leaders and workers from all levels were present.
Notable among them are Syed Nasir Zebul, Lokman Hossain, Badrul Alam Masud, Abdul Hakim, Sarjil Yusuf, Mosharraf Hossain Imon, Kamal Hossain Tarun, Alamgir Hossain, F John, Shahadat Hossain Shaheen, Saifur Ansari, Hasanat Khandkar, Niaz Mohaimin, Mahbubur Rahman Shahin, Khandaker Alam, Kanchan Chowdhury, Litu Ahmed, Marshall. Haque, Ilyas Mia, Mohaimin Russell, Rafiquzzaman Jewel, Mohammad Manik, Shahadat Shanto, Mizanur Rahman, Sarwar Bablu, Badrul Haque, Abu Sufian etc.
At the end of the meeting, the diaspora leaders emphasized on strengthening party unity and strengthening the democratic process. They opined that the political future of Bangladesh cannot be fulfilled without the active participation of expatriates.