Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Deshnayok Tarique Rahman said the people’s economic and political rights should be ensured side by side with making all reforms for changing their fortune.
“Bangladesh is a potential country. Only achieving political emancipation will not be enough. To get its benefits, ways for achieving people’s economic emancipation should be showed,” he said on Saturday.
Tarique Rahman was addressing a memorial meeting as the chief guest at Enayetpur Islamia High School ground in Sirajganj district joining it virtually from London. A large number of people joined the memorial meeting defying inclement weather.
The BNP acting chairman said crores of people wanted the country would be freed from autocracy.
Noting that the people had no freedom of speech till some days ago, he said the people achieved this right through their sacrifice.
“But we achieved partial success. BNP will continue its movement until people’s voting right is ensured,” he said.
He said the students-people’s revolution on August 5 is an outstanding one. Paying tributes to valiant martyrs of the students-people movement in 2024, Tarique Rahman said though autocrat Hasina fled the country, ghosts of autocrat still persist in the country.
Administration should be restructured after removing the ghosts of autocrat from there, he said.
The 2024 mass uprising was a struggle for restoring the people’s voting rights, he added.
“We have been able to free the country from autocracy. We have achieved our target a little bit. We have long way to go to establish the people’s voting rights,” he said.
Tarique Rahman said if accountability based system can be established in the country, whoever goes to power will have to think about the people.
“Our so much sacrifice and movements are for establishing an accountability-based government system,” he said.
He underscored the need for making united efforts for building the country as self-reliant.
“We will have to put importance on the potentials of regional products,” he said.
The BNP acting chairman said they placed a 31-point demand before the nation which contained many issues.
Noting that only making reforms will not be enough for taking the country ahead, he said the country will have to be built as economically self-reliant.
“If we make the nation united, it is possible to achieve economic emancipation,” he said.
Addressing the residents of Sirajganj, he said Belkuchi, Chowhali and Kamarkhanda upazilas in Sirajganj are famous for handloom industry.
When BNP was in power, massive initiatives were taken for flourishing the agriculture, handloom and jute industries, he added.
Mentioning that BNP’s goal and target is to stand by the people, he said if BNP is voted to power, it will stand by the handloom industry to flourish it across the world.
BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku addressed the memorial meeting as the main speaker while party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and BNP’s Sirajganj District unit President Romana Mahmud spoke as the special guests.
Several thousand leaders and activists joined the memorial meeting from Chowhali upazila by trawlers and small boats crossing Jamuna River. Besides, a large number of leaders and workers joined the meeting from different upazilas of the district by road and waterways.
BNP’s Rajshahi Divisional Assistant Organizing Secretary Amirul Islam Khan chaired the meeting while Belkuchi upazila BNP Member Secretary Bani Amin and Enayetpur Thana BNP Member Secretary Manju Sikder conducted it.
Sirajganj District Unit General Secretary Saidur Rahman Bachchu, Adviser Dr MA Muhit, Belkuchi Upazila Convener Nurul Islam Golam, Pourashabha BNP Convener Altab Pramanik, Enayetpur Thana BNP Convener Montu Sarker, Chowhali Upzila President Zahid Mollah, General Secretary Moynal Kari, District Jubo Dal President Mirza Abdul Jabbar Babu, Swechchhasebak Dal President Abdullah Al Kayes, Chhatra Dal President Zunayed Hossain Sabuj, Mohila Dal President Sabina Yasmin Hasi also spoke.
