Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday urged people to remain vigilant against those spreading confusion and rumours in the country, and assess their activities in light of their past roles.

“There are many confusion-makers and rumourmongers in the country. We must remain alert to them and see what they did in the past,” he said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while inaugurating the distribution of Family Cards, other financial assistance, and honorarium for imams, muezzins, khadims, and religious personnel at the Old Kishoreganj Stadium.

He urged people to assess present and future activities of those trying to create confusion in light of their past roles and asked them to keep their “eyes and ears open.”

“The time has come to keep the country stable. We must not be misled by anyone trying to create confusion. If anyone comes to mislead the people, they must be given a befitting response as in the past,” Tarique Rahman said.

In an oblique reference to opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, he recalled its role in 1971, 1986 and 1996, saying the people had witnessed its stance during those periods.

The Prime Minister claimed that those now trying to create confusion against the BNP government had not been seen on the streets during the people’s movement of the past 17 years.

He said BNP leaders and activists, along with those of political parties that stood with the BNP during the movement, had faced repression, enforced disappearances and killings.

Tarique Rahman said the BNP’s politics is centred on the people and aimed at changing their fortunes as well as those of the country. “Our goal is to work for the people and change their fortunes. Only by changing the fortunes of the people can we change the fortunes of the country,” he said.

He said the government’s political vision is to make people economically self-reliant by creating employment, expanding education and strengthening economic opportunities.

The Prime Minister said the government is implementing its election pledges, including the Family Card, Farmers’ Card, tree plantation, canal excavation, Notun Kuri sports programme, honorarium for imams, muezzins and religious leaders, and waiver of agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000, including interest.

He said the government wants to develop agriculture and establish mills and factories to create employment opportunities for unemployed young men and women.

“People cannot be left behind if we want to move the country forward. We have to make every citizen economically self-reliant,” Tarique Rahman said.

He said the government is extending support to different sections of society, including people with disabilities and meritorious students, to help them gradually become self-reliant.

The Prime Minister said patience, peace and stability are needed to implement the commitments the government had made to the people before the February 12 general election.

He said the government’s priority is to build Bangladesh as a welfare-oriented state, where people from all sections of society will receive state support according to their needs, and enjoy dignity.

Tarique Rahman said the Family Card programme is aimed at empowering women, with female heads of families being prioritised for the cards.

“Women make up half of Bangladesh’s population. A country can never move forward by leaving women behind,” he said.

The Prime Minister urged people to remain alert so that no one can obstruct the government’s efforts to implement its political and development agenda.

He said the BNP presented reform proposals in 2022 and its leaders and activists faced repression during the previous 17 years.

Tarique Rahman said the government is now focused on implementing its election pledges rather than engaging in confrontational politics.

He said the BNP government received the people’s mandate in the February 12 election and is therefore working to fulfil its commitments as a government of the people.

At the programme, the Prime Minister distributed Family Cards among women in the district, handed over honorarium to imams, muezzins and other religious leaders, and distributed financial assistance to the distressed and persons with disabilities.

He also handed over a job appointment letter to a person with disability.

The programme was presided over by Social Welfare Minister Prof AZM Zahid Hossain. State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md Shariful Alam and local lawmakers Fazlur Rahman, Mazharul Islam and Jalal Uddin, among others, addressed the programme.

Later, Tarique Rahman inaugurated a tree-plantation programme at the Sholakia Eidgah ground, concluding his daylong visit to Kishoreganj.