Ndileka Mandela, granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, said on Thursday that BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s 31-point plan could help restore democracy and rebuild people’s trust in Bangladesh.
She made the remarks while speaking at a discussion titled 'Reimagining Bangladesh’s Political Future’ organised by The Dhaka Forum Initiative at a hotel in the capital.
The event was based on the book ‘Tarique Rahman: Politics and Policies’ and his BBC Bangla interview.
Ndileka Mandela, founder and CEO of Thembekile Mandela Foundation, said democracy is not a trophy to be won once but a discipline that must be practiced every day, with the inclusion of all women and men, the poor and the powerful, the majority and the minority.
“The book ‘Tarique Rahman: Politics and Policies’ does more than follow one figure. It invites debates about institutional accountability and the people’s will in modern Bangladesh,” she said.
Focusing on the 31-point charter, Ndileka described it as `an invitation to argue with purpose’, addressing issues such as protection of free speech and media, repeal of laws limiting basic freedoms, release of political detainees, anti-corruption measures and protection of minority rights.
“These are not opposition values or government values,” Ndileka said, adding, “They are societal guardrails— the rails that keep the democratic train from derailing.”
Emphasising women’s empowerment, she said democracy without women is ‘an unfinished sentence’.
Ndileka called for a renewed national contract with women, including zero tolerance for violence, investment in girls’ education, equal pay and leadership opportunities across public service, business, media and politics. “When women stand equally, nations stand taller,” she added.
Ndileka also spoke about the importance of climate justice, describing the global crisis as ‘climate apartheid’, where those least responsible for emissions pay the highest price.
“Bangladesh sits on the front line of floods, cyclones and displacement. Climate action is not an environmental chapter, it is a political test,” she said.
Citing her grandfather Nelson Mandela’s belief that ‘hope is a discipline’, Ndileka said Bangladesh’s journey toward fairness, equality and climate responsibility can help not only restore democratic reform but also renew democratic faith.
“True vision is turning personal struggle into public service, mobilisation into institutions, and momentum into rules that outlast any one leader,” she said.
Former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Anwarullah Chowdhury presided over the discussion, while Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Professor Kamrul Ahsan conducted it.
BNP Standing Committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP Chairperson’s Adviser and Chairman of the Foundation for Security and Development Studies Major General (retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar, Acting Chairman’s Adviser Mahdi Amin, National Democratic Movement (NDM) Chairman Bobby Hajjaj, Bangladesh Open University Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Professor Dil Rowshan Zinnat and North South University Political Science Professor Md Taufiqul Islam Mitil also spoke at the event.
A written statement from Professor Aliar Hossain of the Department of Leadership and Diplomacy at Northumbria University, London, was also read out at the programme.