BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Monday urged all political parties to rise above conflicts and engage in healthy competition to serve the people, address their everyday challenges and pursue politics for the greater good of Bangladesh.
“There have been enough movements and struggles, enough slogans, enough rallies and enough meetings. Many people have been oppressed. Many have been martyred. Let us all acknowledge that enough is enough…Let us come together, reduce differences and talks,” he said.
Speaking virtually with Pirojpur’s elderly BNP leader Motaleb Akon, who had long wished to meet him, Tarique said different political parties may have different ideals, and that is natural.
As BNP believes in a multiparty political system, he said, it is normal for different opinions to exist, as is the case in all democratic countries around the world.
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“But let us step away from quarrels and conflicts… Now, let us compete to solve the fundamental problems of the people. These are the problems that touch every person’s life every day, the struggles they face just to survive. Let us see how much we can gradually reduce these problems and bring comfort to people, little by little,” Tarique said, addressing all political parties.
He also urged the political parties to compete to adopt and implement plans that ensure public welfare, reduce suffering, and make sure that those whom the people give the mandate to run the country can gradually put these plans into action. “This should be the politics of our future. This should be politics for the people of Bangladesh and for the future of Bangladesh.”
Tarique also called for politics to be focused on improving people’s lives, rather than creating violence or division.
He stressed the need for building a merit-based society and creating opportunities for young people to earn a living honestly. “We are preparing plans so that every young man and woman can stand on their own feet and live with dignity.”
Referring to the suffering of Motaleb Akon, who was injured in a political attack and now uses a wheelchair, Tarique said the future of Bangladesh must be one where no one faces physical harm for their political beliefs.
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Tarique prayed for Motaleb’s recovery and urged BNP leaders and supporters to dedicate themselves to the welfare of the people.
He emphasised that the BNP’s core strength and main inspiration come from the people of Bangladesh, who have consistently supported the party in free and fair elections.
“Whenever we look at elections, we have seen that whenever the people of Bangladesh have had the chance to vote freely, they have chosen the BNP. This shows that the people of Bangladesh are the true symbol of BNP’s trust and support for one another,” the BNP leader observed.
He said many leaders and workers of his party and other democratic parties have made sacrifices in various ways over the past 17 years—including last July and even earlier—to protect people’s voting and other rights. “But now it’s time to make plans for the wellbeing of the people, including young boys and girls.”
Tarique said BNP is planning to create employment opportunities for the next generation, improve healthcare so people no longer have to lie on hospital floors, and support farmers who sustain the country despite natural disasters.
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“Plans are also being made to empower women in rural areas, helping them become more self-reliant, and stronger economically and educationally,” he said.
The BNP leader virtually met senior leader Motaleb Akon, fulfilling his long-cherished wish to see him, after a private TV channel reported that towards the end of his life, Motaleb had wished to meet Tarique Rahman.