BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said that the party has made many mistakes during its past movements. “We have made many mistakes as we have been in the opposition for a long time. Maybe, we have not been able to achieve expected success,” he said while addressing a discussion meeting at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh. The BNP leader argued that every movement has its ups and downs and it is a sign of hope that people have now awakened. He said national unity is the need of the hour and called upon people to leave aside differences and contradictions and be united for the sake of democracy and national interests. The meeting was organised by Amardesh Family to mark 1,000 days of closure of Dainik Amardesh and the arrest of its acting editor Mahmadur Rahman. Presided over by former Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr Emajuddin Ahmed, the meeting was also addressed, among others, by columnist Farhad Mazhar; founder trustee of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury; journalist Shafik Rehman; and Acting Convenor of Sommilito Peshajibi Parishad, Ruhul Amin Gazi. Mirza Fakhrul also said that he regrets that the journalist community is now divided, which is benefitting the government more than the journalists. “Because of this weakness, journalists are also unable to speak for themselves. It is sad for the nation,” he said. The leader added that not only the journalist community, the government has split the entire nation. Stressing that the country and its people are passing through a critical juncture, the BNP Acting Secretary General said, “All rights of people, including speaking, writing and casting ballot have been snatched. So, national unity has become imperative to restore democracy and the rights of people.” Mirza Fakhrul went on to demand release of all political prisoners and journalists including Shawkat Mahmud, Mahmudur Rahman, Dr Khondaker Mosharraf Hossain, and M.K. Anwar. Meanwhile, BNP Joint Secretary General, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, while addressing a press conference at the party central office, accused the Anti-Corruption Commission of hatching new conspiracies against party Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman under the pretext of investigating his wealth. Ruhul Kabir termed the ACC “a poisonous two-faced snake” which is biting thousands of BNP leaders and activists at the instance of the government, giving a clean chit to members of the ruling party.