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Only election can empower people politically: Tarique

Interim govt should be careful that it does not fail because of its own failures, he says 

Published : Wednesday, 18 September, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 274
Staff Correspondent
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman said on Tuesday that, failure of the Dr Muhammad Yunus interim government is the failure of all of us and the failure of the pro-democracy people of Bangladesh. So this interim government can in no way be allowed to fail. 

Speaking at a rally virtually in front of the BNP Naya Paltan Party Office marking the International Day of Democracy he said, "The current government must also be careful that it does not fail because of its own failure."

Tarique said, "I believe that only free and fair elections can ensure a direct partnership between the people and the state." 

"To ensure such an election, reforms must be made in the Election Commission, public administration, and law enforcement agencies to enabling them perform effectively," he said. 

Tarique said, "All reforms by the interim government should focus on establishing an elected parliament and a new government that truly empowers the people politically." 

He said, "Only a free and fair election can ensure the political empowerment of the people. If the interim government fails     to act on these reforms as a priority, the true aspirations of the people's mass movement will fail." 

Tarique said "It would not be wrong if anyone believes that new political parties are necessary for the development and safety of Bangladesh."

He said, "People of the country will decide who will be their leader. It is their democratic will to decide whom they will support or reject. BNP has always placed emphasis on the significance of the people's vote."

He said, "The interim government has already undertaken reforms in several areas. However, the BNP feels that if the interim government fails to set priorities in terms of agenda setting, conspiratorial circles may take various opportunities to disrupt the success of the mass uprising." 

Tarique also said the interim government is working to restore order in the country following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's fascist and despotic regime.

"Change in power means qualitative change in state and politics. Therefore, every political leader and activist needs to remember that for qualitative change in politics, qualitative change in the behaviour of political party leaders and activists is also necessary," Tarique said.

He said although Hasina, the head of the mafia clique, fled the country, the beneficiaries and evil forces have continued to challenge the interim government from within the administration or under the guise of politics.

"The people will not allow the government to fail amid various provocations from home and abroad," Tarique said.

He said the current interim government is the outcome of the supreme sacrifice of thousands of martyrs and the mass uprising of millions of people.

Tarique urged his party men to earn the trust and affection of the people through their work.

"I would like to say that the country will be on the electoral roadmap along the path of reforms. So, let us all earn the trust and love of the people through work. We should stand by the people and keep them with us," Tarique said.

The rally formally began at about 2:30pm with the recitation from the holy Quran.

BNP leaders and activists started gathering in front of their party office with party flags, banners and festoons at about 12:00pm to join the rally. They were chanting various slogans.

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman addressed the Naya Paltan rally virtually from London as chief guest with party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the chair.

Fakhrul said, there are many ghosts of the country's fascist past currently in the interim government, conspiring to thwart the victory achieved by the recent student-led mass uprising. 

Fakhrul said, "In return for the sacrifice of the students, we got an opportunity to establish democracy. Let's not throw it away."

He said that, democracy and the BNP are two synonymous terms because we first established the caretaker government to uphold democracy.

Fakhrul said, Khaleda Zia introduced the caretaker government system for fair elections. In 2016, Khaleda Zia outlined Vision 2021 to sustain democracy. And in 2023, the BNP has presented 31 points once again."

Fakhrul said, "Over the last 16 years, many of our leaders and activists have been killed. Many BNP leaders have been exiled in the fight to establish democracy. The democracy we have established today should not be taken lightly." 

"To those in power today, I want to tell them, fascist groups are still conspiring to block the establishment of democracy. They must be removed from their seats quickly," said Fakhrul. 

He said, "Through the sacrifices of students and the public, we were given the opportunity to create a democratic state system. We must not waste this opportunity. We need to create a situation where true democracy can be established."

Addressing the young leaders and activists present at the rally, Mirza Fakhrul said, "You are the vanguard. If anyone tries to derail democracy today, you will stand firm against it."

He also said, "Tarique Rahman will return to the country. Our leader Khaleda Zia will go abroad for medical treatment and will return."

Mirza Fakhrul also demanded compensation for those injured and killed in the mass uprising.

BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas said his party is eager for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to return to the country so that she can be tried for the 17 years of oppression inflicted on his party men.

"Hasina claims she will swiftly return to the country. We also want her to come back, so we can hold her accountable for 17 years of arrests and persecution of our party men," the BNP leader said while addressing the rally at Naya Paltan.

Abbas said, "We have repeatedly said we will give the government a reasonable timeframe to hold election, but that does not mean we will allow them an unlimited period."

The party's Joint Secretary General Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel criticised former prime minister Sheikh Hasina for ignoring the party's repeated calls to establish a caretaker government.

"Hasina chose to ignore our calls and listened to foreign powers instead. If she had listened to us, she wouldn't have had to flee like this," he said.

Small pockets of rallies held by the BNP and its associate bodies could also be seen in different parts of the capital including Naya Paltan, Kakrail, Malibagh, Shantinagar, Bijoynagar, Fakirapool, and Arambagh areas, resulting in a gridlock.

Traffic came to a standstill on both sides of the VIP road. The party activists were seen holding the party flag and national flags, banners, festoons in their hands.

Not only in Dhaka, people also held rallies in different cities in the country since the morning. 



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