Tarique seeks public support for BNP to implement reform proposals

Welcoming the interim government for rolling out a roadmap for the next general election, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman today (6 August) sought public support for the party to implement reform proposals.

Virtually addressing a rally organised by BNP in front of its Nayapaltan central office marking the first anniversary of the July Uprising, Tarique said his party has already presented its vision before people, outlining how it would govern, run the state and politics, if entrusted with state power.

"And the interim government has proposed reforms in consultation with all democratic political parties, and BNP seeks public support to implement all these programmes for the welfare of the country and its people," he said.

"The interim government yesterday announced a timeframe for holding the (national) election with the aim of establishing a democratic government accountable to the people in the fascist-free Bangladesh. The government has unveiled the July Charter in order to implement people's will. We welcome these initiatives to implement," he said.

He said Bangladesh's democracy-loving people have had to wait for a long time for this historic moment as they are currently passing through a crucial transition on the journey of establishing democratic and political rights for people.

Turning to the repressive acts carried out by the fascist regime, Tarique said over 1,500 people were killed during the 2024 mass uprising alone.

Noting that the current moment presents a great opportunity for democracy-loving citizens to establish their rights, the BNP leader said if this opportunity can be seized to ensure political harmony, political and economic empowerment of the people, then no one will have the opportunity to establish fascism anymore in the future.

"In exchange for the lives of our brothers, sisters, children and relatives, no one will ever have to see events like the bloody 2024. I would like to draw the attention of every citizen, regardless of religion or caste, to say that it is time for you as a citizen to make a decision to establish your own rights, to ensure the safety of your family, to establish a safe Bangladesh for the present and future generations," he added.

The BNP acting chairman urged people, regardless of political affiliation, to remember one thing that no one was safe and their all democratic and political rights were grabbed during the fascist regime. "The entire country had been turned into a barbaric prison – Aynaghar (a secret prison) -- for the democracy-loving people," he said.

So, without democracy and the rule of law, no one -- whether man or woman, minority or majority -- can stay safe, he said.

"To ensure democracy and the rule of law, to establish the authority of the people in the state and government - the task is to properly implement and practice our democratic political rights, which we have earned with our blood," Tarique added.

Pointing at different political parties, he said differences of opinion on various issues are natural, but these things should be resolved through discussions. "We, pro-democratic political parties, should never turn our backs on each other in the national parliament; rather , we need to stay united on the question of the national interests."

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee Members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Salahuddin Ahmed, and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also spoke at the rally.

The rally was part of BNP's month-long celebration of the July mass uprising of 2024 and was followed by a procession through adjacent streets.