Bangla Press Desk: BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday called on party leaders and activists across the country to remain united in order to secure victory in the forthcoming national election, scheduled for February next year.
He also warned party members about the emergence of what he described as “invisible conspira-cies” and urged them to resist any attempts to mislead people in the name of the BNP.
“If we can stay strong and preserve a steel-solid unity among ourselves until next February, then we will be able to win public support for our side in the parliamentary election,” he said while addressing the triennial council of Kishoreganj District BNP at the old stadium in the district town. He joined the programme virtually from London.
Tarique Rahman cautioned that while autocracy had “fallen and fled” from the country, an “in-visible evil force” was now on the rise.
“What I pointed out a year ago is gradually becoming visible. If we truly consider the interests of the country, if we want to establish the political and economic rights of the people and advance education, development, and democracy as done by Khaleda Zia, then we have no time to sit idle,” he declared.
He emphasised that a government must be formed through the people’s votes and remain ac-countable to them.
“The current interim government has announced that it will organise the election in the first half of February. If we want the people’s support for our 31 points in that election, then unity is abso-lutely essential. There is no alternative.”
“Each of us must be very alert. No one should be allowed to use our name, this party’s name, or the name of the BNP to serve personal interests. No one must be allowed to use our name to mis-lead the people. Each of you must take responsibility in this regard,” he said.
Drawing the attention of party men, the BNP leader stressed that any decision taken by the party must be upheld by all members. “When a decision is made on behalf of the nationalist force, we, who are soldiers of Khaleda Zia and believers in Zia’s ideology, must implement that decision at any cost,” he affirmed.
He further noted that the people of Bangladesh had been struggling for their rights for the past 16 years, while pro-democracy political parties had been united in their fight to reclaim those rights.
Tarique Rahman pointed out that the interim government recently submitted proposals for state reform, 90%-95% of which had originally been placed by the BNP two and a half years ago. “Various political parties have expressed their opinions on the matter, and there may be differ-ences on certain issues,” he said.
“But there is no disagreement over the fundamental political rights of the people of Bangladesh, their security, and their right to live. BNP is committed to ensuring these rights,” he added.
Recalling the plight of party members under the previous Awami League government, he alleged that false cases had been filed against more than 5 million BNP leaders and activists.
He again urged his party men to remain vigilant so that no one could use the BNP’s name for personal gain. “Everyone must be alert against attempts to sow confusion using our name. Each of you has a duty and responsibility in this regard,” he reiterated.
Finally, Tarique Rahman called on BNP leaders and activists to make two pledges: to stay united in implementing party decisions, and to ensure that no one pursues personal interests or engages in conspiracy in the name of the party. This article was originally published on Daily Sun.
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[Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]
