Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Sunday instructed the party leaders and activists to gain the confidence of people, saying that the next general elections would not be easy for the BNP.
鈥楳any people believe that the BNP has a favourable positon to win the next elections. But, as I have told you on many occasions in the past few months, the elections would be so easy for the BNP as you think,鈥� he said while addressing a meeting virtually to commemorate the 89th birth anniversary of the BNP鈥檚 founder Ziaur Rahman.
The BNP organised the event at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in the capital Dhaka.
Tarique said, 鈥楧o not engage in any misleading actions that could drive people away from the BNP. The country鈥檚 people demonstrated their strength on August 5, and if we make a mistake, they will show it again,鈥� he said.
鈥楢ccountability in the state and society can only be achieved by establishing the rights to vote. With accountability in place, sufferings of the people will decrease,鈥� he said.
Tarique said that in the country, there would be differences in ideology among different political parties, but everyone should agree on one thing that elections should be held at all levels of the state at regular intervals.
鈥業f we want to gain the elections, we must have to go to the people, as at the end of the day the people matters,鈥� he said.
Tarique called upon the party leaders and activists to be careful not to give the opportunity to those who were beneficiaries of the deposed Awami League regime to join the BNP.
BNP leaders and activists have made significant sacrifices over the past 16 years to establish voting rights and democracy, not for the rehabilitation of the beneficiaries of other parties, Tarique observed.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, 鈥榃ithout an elected government, people would not get any benefits, as obtaining mandate is needed to take any policy decision.鈥�
An elected parliament would be needed to carry out reforms, he said.
Fakhrul said that the prices of goods were increasing to such an extent that people were struggling to bear it.
鈥業 urged the interim government to pay attention to this. I asked them to focus on good governance, as corruption has begun among bureaucrats and officials. I requested them that they should look into this to ensure good governance,鈥� he said.
BNP standing committee member Hafizuddin Ahmed said that the interim government鈥檚 primary role was to hold a free and fair election, but it was focused on forming a 鈥榢ing鈥檚 party鈥�.
He said that a proposal to lower the age limit for participating in the national elections had been made in an effort to support new parties.
Discussions about a proclamation would not yield any positive results for people, instead the government should focus on bringing back laundered money for the sake of the country, Hafizuddin mentioned.
He claimed that many beneficiaries of the Awami League had joined the BNP and urged the party鈥檚 acting chairman to take action against the leaders who attempted to rehabilitate these beneficiaries of the Awami League.
BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed urged the interim government to hold the national elections by August 5 this year to make the mass uprising truly memorable.
鈥榃e welcome new political parties, but cannot support efforts to create a king鈥檚 party. Let us preserve anti-fascist unity and prevent it from being undermined by the ambitions of any group,鈥� he said.
Standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that there was no substitute for honesty in politics.
He said that Ziaur Rahman had established honesty as the foundation of politics and statehood.
Earlier on the day, Mirza Fakhrul along with the other party leaders and activists paid tribute to Ziaur Rahman at his grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital Dhaka on the occasion of the 89th birth anniversary of the former president.
