Chief whip urges opposition not to destabilise country
The conference was held under the theme “We will work, we will build the country, Bangladesh first.”
Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni toay (21 October) said people will assess the present government's performance over five years before deciding whether to vote for the BNP again, urging political opponents not to destabilise the country through frequent movements.
"If the government fails to discharge its responsibilities, the people will respond through their votes," he said, adding that political opponents should wait for the next election instead of repeatedly launching movements to create instability.
The chief whip was speaking as the chief guest at the 2026 Barishal divisional conference of Zia Mancha at the Barishal Shilpakala Academy auditorium.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The conference was held under the theme "We will work, we will build the country, Bangladesh first."
Moni said the government has begun its journey amid a fragile economy, alleging that Tk 30 lakh crore was siphoned out of the country.
He said various programmes organised by the opposition, including long marches, are obstructing efforts to rebuild the country.
The chief whip also said long marches will not bring any real change to the country's situation.
On the power crisis, he said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has approved a three-year tax exemption on imports of solar power equipment to help address the electricity shortage.
"If we can make proper use of this opportunity, it will be possible to bridge the electricity shortfall within a year," Moni said.
He said the BNP led the movement that brought down the previous government after enduring 17 years of repression, persecution and political adversity.
The chief whip said the present government has taken responsibility for the country amid a fragile economy and multiple challenges and is working to rebuild it.
The government has also introduced various support programmes, including Family Card and Farmers' Card, to improve the socio-economic conditions of disadvantaged people, he added.
Referring to the contributions of former President Ziaur Rahman, Moni said he fought on the frontline during the War of Liberation and later took responsibility for running the country during a period of crisis.
He also praised former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for her role in restoring democracy through movements against autocratic rule. "She endured imprisonment, persecution and other forms of repression during the 17-year anti-fascist movement," he said.
