BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman’s planned tour of the northern districts has been postponed following a request from the Election Commission EC), party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday night.
He made the announcement after a meeting of the party’s highest policymaking body, the National Standing Committee at the party chairman’s Gulshan office.
Mirza Fakhrul said the Standing Committee earlier decided that Tarique Rahman would visit several districts in the northern region from January 11 to pay tributes to national leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani and Abu Sayeed, a martyr of the 2024 student-led mass uprising, along with other martyrs, by visiting their graves. “The tour also included some of his family responsibilities (of Tarique).”
“However, at the request of the Election Commission, the BNP Chairman’s tour has been postponed,” he said.
The BNP Standing Committee meeting was held with Tarique Rahman in the chair. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman and Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, among others, were present.
Election Derailing Conspiracy
Fakhrul alleged that a vested quarter is still conspiring to make the upcoming national election, scheduled for February, controversial and derail it.
“You all know that various conspiracies are underway by a quarter to question and foil the election. Osman Hadi has been shot dead. Similarly, leaders of different political parties, particularly several BNP leaders, have been shot and killed. A few days ago, Musabbir, former member secretary of the Swechchhasebak Dal’s Dhaka North unit, was also shot dead,” he said.
Fakhrul said the BNP strongly condemned the killing of Musabbir, expressed deep anger and demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible and their prosecution.
He said the party repeatedly informed the government and the Election Commission that continued incidents of killing would destroy the election environment.
Tarique made BNP chairman as per party constitution
“We are once again urging the government and the Election Commission to take all necessary and effective measures so that the election environment is not ruined,” the BNP leader said.
Referring to the passing of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Fakhrul said the country witnessed the largest namaz-e-janaza in its history after her passing.
“The massive gathering of people at her janaza was something Bangladesh has never seen before,” he said.
On behalf of the BNP, he expressed heartfelt gratitude to the people who spontaneously participated in the janaza.
He also thanked the armed forces, the chiefs of the three services, the government and members of law enforcement agencies, including police, RAB and BGB, for their cooperation in maintaining law and order during the programme.
Khaleda Zia passed away on December 30 last year and was laid to rest beside her husband’s grave at Zia Udyan near Parliament in the capital.