BNP Standing Committee member  Goyeshwar Chandra Roy on Thursday said ensuring people’s rights and empowering them are essential to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and counter conspiracies.

“Strengthening the hands of any particular leader does not guarantee the country’s sovereignty. We must first strengthen the hands of the people, who take to the streets when necessary and confront conspiracies,” he said.

He made the remarks at a discussion arranged by the Progressive Nationalist Party (PNP) at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the party’s founding anniversary.

The BNP lawmaker said the July-August mass uprising of 2024 demonstrated how political parties with different ideologies could unite for the sake of the country.

He said “We failed to bring ordinary people and students into the 17-year movement against the previous ousted government as they were fighting on their own. But the situation changed when students and the public took to the streets.”

He defended BNP’s strategy of joint movements, saying the 31-point reform proposal was developed through consultations with parties involved in the movement against the ousted Awami League government.

He also said a country could not be governed solely through religion, stressing that religion and state governance were separate matters.

“Religion is one thing, and running the state is another. A country cannot survive on religion alone. National identity is built on many elements, including our culture, language, heritage, the Liberation War and geographical boundaries,” he said.

Goyeshwar said Bangladesh’s national identity had been shaped by various elements, including its language, culture, heritage, the Liberation War and geographical boundaries.

He credited BNP founder President Ziaur Rahman with fostering a distinct Bangladeshi national identity by bringing these elements together.