BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Monday urged people to stay united against all conspiracies, assuring that there is no reason to fear and that the national election will be held on schedule.
Speaking at a discussion virtually, he said the gun attack on Sharif Osman bin Hadi, a potential independent candidate from the Dhaka-8 constituency, is part of a conspiracy to disrupt the election.
Stating that victory and defeat, life and death are all determined by the Almighty Allah, he said if the nation moves forward together, united and trusting in Allah, to establish the rights of the people, the conspirators will be forced to retreat.
He said history has repeatedly shown that when people remain united, no force can stop them from winning. “This was proven in 1971, in 2024, on November 7, 1975, and during the anti-autocracy movement of the 1990s. I firmly say that the election will be held at the scheduled time, InshAllah,” he added.
Expressing his wish to personally take part in election campaigning, Tarique said amid loud applause, “Ahead of the upcoming election, in villages and towns, ports and cities, wards and neighbourhoods, lanes and streets, and on the highways, I will also be with you in the people’s march to establish their rights, InshAllah.”
BNP has already announced that Tarique Rahman will return to Dhaka on December 25 after spending 18 years in exile in London.
BNP organised the discussion programme at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, marking Victory Day. At the beginning of the programme, a special prayer was offered for the speedy recovery of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who is undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital.
Tarique said the people of Bangladesh have long been witnessing that an anti-Bangladesh vested quarter has repeatedly tried to obstruct the election by adding condition after condition without reason, or by using various excuses.
“Defying all kinds of hurdles, after more than one and a half decades, the Election Commission has finally announced the date of the much-desired national election of the people,” he said.
Urging everyone to remain alert, the BNP leader said, “The conspiracy has not stopped yet. The shooting of Osman Hadi, a brave son on the side of democracy, is part of that conspiracy. What was Osman Hadi’s crime? As a political worker, some questions have arisen in my mind, and I believe the answers to these questions clearly expose the nature of the attackers.”
As a political worker, he said, the questions are: “First, who would be happy if the current interim government is made to fail? Second, who would benefit if the interim government continues without an election? Third, who would gain if a people’s government is not formed through the people’s vote? I believe the answers to these questions hide the attackers of Hadi. The enemies of independence and democracy are lurking within these answers.”
Tarique said a fallen and fugitive fascist clique has long distorted the history of Bangladesh’s independence and the Liberation War to serve its narrow and partisan interests.
He said attempts were made in the past to turn the history of independence into party history, and even now a defeated group is trying to create a new “history of victory”.
In contrast, the BNP leader said this Victory Day should be marked not by revenge, but by a pledge to build a prosperous and democratic Bangladesh by ensuring that the benefits of victory reach every household.
He said the message of victory must not remain limited to slogans alone. “To ensure that the fruits of victory reach every home, BNP and the Sheaf of Paddy are seeking the support and cooperation of the people in the upcoming national election.”
Tarique said BNP believes that independence and democracy cannot be sustained without the political and economic empowerment of the people. “Whenever democracy has been threatened in the country’s history, independence and sovereignty have also been put at risk.”
Noting that a country cannot become strong by keeping its people powerless, he said establishing a government elected directly by the people and accountable to them is BNP’s core objective. “That is why the party has always taken a firm stand in favour of free, fair and neutral elections.”
Tarique Rahman said the upcoming national election is not just an election for ‘experience’ or ‘experiment’.
“This election is more complex and more important than any previous one,” he said, adding that it is linked to the dreams, hopes, interests and future of both present and future generations, as well as the sovereignty of Bangladesh.
The BNP leader said the party has prepared its nation-building programme with the vision of making the next decade a decade of transformation.
“Half of our population is women, more than 40 million are young people, and there are millions of farmers and workers. Using the strength of this working population to consolidate Bangladesh’s victory is BNP’s main goal. By building a self-reliant and prosperous Bangladesh, we want to make every future Victory Day more meaningful and more glorious,” he observed.
Tarique reiterated that democracy and independence cannot be sustained unless people are politically and economically empowered. “Whenever democracy has been threatened in Bangladesh, the country’s sovereignty has also been endangered. This has been proven time and again.”
The discussion was chaired by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and moderated by Publicity Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku.
BNP Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed and Hafizuddin Ahmed, along with Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Abdus Salam, former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Anwarullah Chowdhury, Jubo Dal leader Nurul Islam Nayan and Swechchhasebak Dal leader Rajib Ahsan, among others, spoke at the programme.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
