Bangla Press Desk: BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said that the core principle of BNP’s diplomacy is simple — Bangladesh comes first.
“In foreign policy, BNP’s guiding philosophy is ‘Bangladesh first.’ My people, my country, my sovereignty — everything else comes after safeguarding these interests,” he said in an interview with BBC Bangla.
When asked whether this could be seen as part of a global political trend — like US President Donald Trump’s “America First” slogan — Tarique Rahman replied, “No, that’s what they said for themselves. I am a Bangladeshi. To me, Bangladesh’s interests come first. The interests of the Bangladeshi people come first. So, whatever others say… Bangladesh first. It’s simple, nothing complicated about it.”
In response to a question about BNP’s policy regarding relations with India, he said, “I think I’ve already made the whole matter clear through my previous answers. Bangladesh comes first. You’ve mentioned a particular country, but that’s not the point — whether it’s that country or another. The main thing is that Bangladesh’s interests and the interests of its people come first for me. Whatever I do, I will do keeping that principle upheld.”
BP/SP
