Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Sunday said that the ‘unholy efforts of evil forces’ to create a ground for thwarting the next parliamentary elections were gradually becoming visible.
‘Almost a year ago, I said invisible forces were working, centring the next election. Now people have started noticing that the evil-efforts of the ill-forces are slowly becoming visible in recent times in preparing the ground to destroy the opportunity for people to establish their rights in Bangladesh through elections,’ he said while addressing a discussion virtually.
The discussion was held at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh in Dhaka, marking the 47th founding anniversary of BNP.
While the interim government is walking on the path of upholding people’s rights in a deposed, defeated and fugitive autocratic-free Bangladesh, some political parties are imposing conditions in the name of election to serve their partisan interests, Tarique said.
‘By doing so, they may be attempting to create obstacles in the electoral path in a planned way,’ he continued.
Tarique said that BNP from the very beginning had been pressing the demand for holding an election at the quickest possible time, as the party believed that people needed political power first.
The BNP acting chairman urged the democratic political parties to refrain from blocking the electoral process with conditions saying that no reform initiatives would be sustainable by creating obstacles to the practice and application of the people’s rights.
‘Establishing people’s rights through effective democratic political practice is much more urgent than textbook reforms,’ he said.
He said that BNP fully agreed on the matter of reforms in the state and politics. Since reforms were important, his party announced a 31-point reform agenda and actively supported and cooperated with reform initiatives.
But he cautioned that no reform would be sustainable if obstacles were created in the exercise of people’s rights.
Though the interim government came based on public desires, Tarique said that he did not think that there was any logical reason to expect this government to perform like an efficient and accountable political government.
‘The longer the interim government stays in power, the more its weaknesses will become visible, giving anti-uprising evil forces scope to create confusion,’ he warned.
Pointing to recent incidents, including the attack on Gana Odhikar parishad President Nurul Haque Nur, Tarique said that the country’s stability was either becoming complicated or being made complicated.
The BNP leader questioned if the slogan like ‘elections will not be allowed to be held’ weaken the unity of anti-fascist forces, or will they create relevance for the resurgence of fascist evil forces.
He urged the political parties to refrain from the politics of blocking BNP’s victory and instead join efforts to form an accountable government through elections in Bangladesh and then explore the ways to solve rational demands of the political parties.
‘As a political activist, I believe that democratic political parties will find it easier to implement democratic demands over time,’ Tarique added.
Pointing at the BNP supporters, he said that BNP thought that politics was not merely about promises but about improving people’s lives and building a safe Bangladesh for future generations.
Criticising mob violence, BNP acting chairman said that no one of them would tolerate mob violence. ‘Every soldier of Shaheed Zia and Leader Khaleda Zia will be sensitive and respectful towards the dignity and rights of women. If we have ties with the people, no conspiracy can stop BNP’s march forward, InshaAllah.’
On the party’s founding anniversary, Tarique urged BNP leaders and activists to renew their pledge to democracy, justice, rule of law and people’s rights.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, its standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, among others, spoke at the discussion conducted by BNP publicity affairs secretary Sultan Salahuddin Ahmed Tuku.