BSS) - BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said that holding a separate referendum would cost an additional Taka one thousand crore.

He said, "We have said that the referendum must be held on the same day as the national election. Holding a separate referendum will cause an additional expense of over Taka one thousand crore."

Fakhrul made the remarks as the chief guest at a discussion organized by Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal at the National Press Club.

BNP Standing Committee Member Major (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed also spoke on the occasion, while Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal President Syed Ishtiaq Aziz Ulfat presided over the event.

The BNP Secretary General said that if the election had been held within three months of the uprising, "the evil forces would not have dared to rise again."

"All the reforms are clearly mentioned in our 31 points. We are in favor of reforms. The next parliament will decide whether Proportional Representation (PR) will be implemented. People are being fooled by saying that the election won`t happen without PR," he added, noting that the BNP would establish democracy by thwarting all conspiracies.

The veteran BNP leader also highlighted the contributions of the party`s founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman to the great Liberation War and his role in nation-building in the post-independence period.

Mirza Fakhrul said, "A force that opposed independence in 1971 is now trying to diminish the history of the independence. They only want to highlight the July Uprising. We do not want to create division, but some people are deliberately trying to do so. I want to be very clear about this - there is no reason to forget 1971. `71 is the birthplace of our nation."

Regarding the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina`s recent interview, Fakhrul said, "Sheikh Hasina is giving interviews to various media outlets while sitting in India. I want to request the Indian government to hand over Sheikh Hasina because she needs to face justice."