The ghost of ousted dictatorship is hanging over the shoulders of the current opposition, said Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman.
He made this remarks at a public rally at the open stage of the Maulana Bhashani Science and Technology University campus in Tangail on Tuesday afternoon.
The Prime Minister said, “When former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia once formed the government, those who were in the opposition party said that BNP would not be allowed to live in peace even for a minute. Can you remember? We see that those who are now sitting in the opposition party have also started doing the same thing. The ghost of that dictatorship has hung over them.”
He also said, “The people of Bangladesh have given BNP the responsibility to run the country. The day BNP signed the July Charter, others have also signed the charter on the same day. We have seen that those who are in the opposition party now, for the first time, was in a confusion over whether they would sign it or not. And there is another party with them, who didn't even sign at that time. I saw them go for the election and suddenly sign in a hurry.”
The Prime Minister asked a question and said, “The BNP signed first. We can ask those who clamored for the July Charter after the election— if you are so hurt now, then why didn't you sign first?”
Tarique Rahman said, “I have said it before, and I am making it clear again— BNP has signed the July Charter, and BNP will implement that Charter. There will be no change in it. But those who will obstruct BNP's public works programs including canal digging, family card, farmer card, and making professional players, BNP will resist them along with the people.”
He also said, “We have to be vigilant, be careful, about understanding the matter that who is the ghost of dictatorship, who is slowly influencing us again, who is trying to create anarchy in the country again.”
The Prime Minister also said, “When the common people of Bangladesh are talking about reforms, we have to remember – who first proposed reforms. The interim government is talking about reforms, but BNP made these proposals long ago. In 2016, BNP, under the leadership of national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, first outlined reforms. Then in 2023, BNP, along with all the parties involved in the movement, announced a one-point movement and 31-point reform. When the Dr. Yunus-led government formed a reform commission and invited various parties, it was seen that 85 percent of the reform proposals were in line with the proposals given by the BNP.”
He also said, "The rule of democracy is that there is a difference of opinions. We may have disagreements on any issue; there is no problem with that. But those disagreements must be resolved through discussion."
Finally, he said, "This Bangladesh is our only address. We have held this country in our hearts and we have no alternative address other than this country. Since this Bangladesh is our identity and last resort, we have to build this country ourselves. We will, together with everyone, InshaAllah, transform this country into a prosperous and expected Bangladesh."
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
