BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said his party has repeatedly faced difficult situations after coming to power because it inherited a country in crisis.“BNP has bad luck. Whenever we come to power, we find ourselves standing on the ruins left behind by previous governments,” Fakhrul said on Friday at a seminar titled “Role of Media in Sustainable Democracy” organised by the Television Editors Council at Hotel Holiday Inn in Dhaka.Fakhrul alleged that the previous government did not undertake any gas exploration and instead created a dependence on imports. He also claimed that the power sector was damaged through quick rental power plants and that the banking sector was left in a troubled state.He said the government now faces major challenges in reforming these sectors.Speaking about democracy and media freedom, the BNP leader said democracy is primarily a culture that must be reflected in people’s thoughts and actions. Without such practices, he said, sustainable democracy cannot be established.Fakhrul stressed the importance of tolerance and said the government should be allowed time to work while also remaining open to criticism. He also called for stronger institutional structures for the media and urged outlets to become financially and professionally independent.Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan attended the seminar as the chief discussant, while Information and Broadcasting State Minister Yaser Khan Chowdhury was present as a special guest.In a keynote presentation, Independent Television’s Chief News Editor Mostofa Akmal said democracy is not limited to voting rights but depends on ensuring accountability and protecting citizens’ right to access truthful information.He said political pressure, enforcement of digital laws and surveillance had restricted the media’s ability to operate freely over the past one and a half decades.Akmal called for editorial independence, free flow of information and nationwide measures to combat misinformation, saying the media should be viewed as a partner in building a democratic state rather than as a government mouthpiece.Several senior media professionals also attended and spoke at the seminar.