Dhaka, May 20 -- Highlighting the contribution of BNP to the country, party senior leader Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday called it the protector of Bangladesh's freedom and sovereignty.

Speaking as the chief guest at a new member collection drive for the party at Sylhet Shilpakala Academy, he said, "Without BNP there would have been no multi-party democracy, no parliamentary system and no caretaker government system in Bangladesh. BNP is the guardian of Bangladesh's freedom and sovereignty."

Labeling BNP as the party of people, he said, "As long as BNP exists, the independence and sovereignty of the country will remain intact. A weak BNP means a weakened Bangladesh."

He said anyone who believes in Bangladeshi nationalism and identifies as ...