Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday alleged that some political parties were resorting to various unfair tactics to block his party鈥檚 victory in the next election.
He urged all to confront politics with politics instead of stopping people from giving their verdict.
While virtually exchanging greetings with Hindu communities, Tarique also sought their support and active cooperation for his party in the next national election,聽 saying that it was a big opportunity to build a safe Bangladesh for the future generation.
鈥楾he surprising matter is that in a fascist-free Bangladesh, it is not the ruling government this time, but rather the attitude of some political figures and groups鈥攚ho were comrades in the anti-fascist movement on the streets鈥攏ow reflects the same tendency of the ousted fugitive autocratic regime to block BNP鈥檚 victory,鈥� he said.
In their efforts to stop BNP鈥檚 victory, Tarique said that the deposed fascist government once turned the country into a vast prison and a subservient state.
鈥楨ven in today鈥檚 fascist-free Bangladesh, there are still some parties and quarters, who fear that if the election is held, people will vote for BNP to form the government. Out of this fear, they are resorting to evil tactics and setting conditions to obstruct BNP鈥檚 victory.鈥�
鈥業 would like to draw their attention by saying鈥攃onfront politics with politics. Put your trust and confidence in people鈥檚 strength. If BNP鈥檚 victory truly comes from the people, then do not block the people鈥檚 right to give their mandate just to resist BNP鈥檚 triumph,鈥� he continued.
Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Kalyan Front arranged the programme at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, marking Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna.
Tarique said that his party believed the Proportional Representation system of election was still not suitable for Bangladesh considering its socio-economic, geographic and political realities.
鈥楶eople have the right to know who they are voting for and which individual is being elected as their representative in parliament. But under the PR system, voters have no clear way of knowing exactly which person is being elected,鈥� he said.
The BNP leader said that if any political party or individual wanted to represent the nation in parliament or government, they had to directly face the people, win their trust and confidence, and earn their mandate through votes.
Tarique greeted the Hindu community members in Bangladesh and abroad on the occasion of Janmashtami. He also paid tribute to the Hindu community members who sacrificed their lives in the July-August mass uprising.
Addressing the programme, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that there was then a strong effort to make people forget the Liberation War of 1971.
He urged all to unite against such attempts, and also called upon all to remain alert so that extremism and fundamentalism cannot raise their ugly heads in the country.
Fakhrul stressed the need for establishing the rule of law and restoring democracy in Bangladesh. He urged Hindu community members to remain alert so that no one can use communalism as a weapon to destabilise the country.
Reaffirming that BNP did not believe in communalism, Fakhrul said that his party wanted to build a rainbow nation ensuring communal harmony in Bangladesh.
BNP standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, AZM Zahid Hossain, Gono Forum executive president Subrata Chowdhury, BNP vice-chairman Netai Roy Chowdhury and the party executive committee member Nipun Roy Chowdhury, among others, spoke at the programme.