Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Sunday called upon the party men to win people's heart and achieve their love with generosity and justice, not showing power or intimidation.
"My clear message to you, win people's heart with fairness and kindness, not showing power or intimidation. Achieve people's love," he said in a video message on the occasion of the 46th founding anniversary of BNP.
Tarique extended greetings to the democracy-loving people of the country marking the party's anniversary.
Since its inception, BNP has always upheld the interest of the people in every movement for establishing democracy and people's rights while running the country or acting as the opposition party, he said.
So, BNP, the party of proclaimer of the country's independence, is the most popular and trusted political institution to the country's democracy-loving people even overcoming many hostile situations, the BNP acting chairman said.
On the auspicious occasion of the founding anniversary, he recalled with respect the contribution of all those under whose leadership, whose sacrifices, whose labor and merit have made the party a trusted institution to the people of the entire country.
"Now the country has stood at a turning point in its history. The interim government is facing a tough challenge of building a discrimination-free Bangladesh as desired by the students and people," he continued.
Tarique Rahman said the country has been freed from autocracy on August 5 through the sacrifice of thousands of martyrs and the untold sufferings of numerous students and people.
But the cohorts of the autocrat are still hatching conspiracy to foil the success and potential of the mass uprising, he added.
"I do believe that if the pro-Bangladesh forces remain alert, the country cannot be derailed. Bangladesh won't lose its track again," the BNP acting chairman said.
The people cannot be made to forget the disorder and injustice of the last 15 years by hatching conspiracy or spreading propaganda, he added.
State infrastructure Ganabhaban was the traditional symbol of the state and the country's politics, he said, adding that but now Ganabhaban becomes a symbol of corruption, misrule, lawlessness and wrongdoings of dictator Hasina.
Tarique Rahman said demands have already been raised from different quarters to build Ganabhaban as the museum of enforced disappearance, killing, abduction and genocide.
From army personnel killing in Pilkhana in 2009 to Shapla Chattar killing in 2013, enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killings during the period of the movement for democracy restoration in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022 and 2023 and memories of the martyrs and victims of enforced disappearances in anti-quota movement and road safety movement in 2018 and mass-upsurge in 2024 should be preserved in the museum, he said.
This museum will bear the message to future generations that no other ruler in Bangladesh follows the barbaric path of dictator Hasina to stay in power illegally, he added.
The BNP Acting Chairman said when the interim government is on track to implement its aspirations of the mass uprising, suddenly an imposed flood situation has swallowed vast areas in the country's eastern region.
Around one crore people have been affected more or less in the devastating flood while many people have died, properties have been damaged, he said.
Under the circumstances, BNP has cancelled its all programme of the founding anniversary to stand by the flood-affected people as per its capacity, he further said.
Noting that flood water has already started receding in some areas, Tarique Rahman said currently returning those who have been affected by the flood to their flood-damaged houses or their rehabilitation process is a little more complicated than the situation during the flood.
He called upon all to continue their cooperation to flood-affected people and stand by them in a coordinated way giving priority to the families having women, children and elderly people.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
