BNP always favours reforms: Tarique
Staff Reporter :
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday reaffirmed that his party always favour reform work as it was involved in reforming in the organisation since its founding.
He also assured his party’s unwavering commitment to restoring democracy and voting rights in Bangladesh, emphasizing that BNP leaders and activists are prepared to make any sacrifice necessary to ensure the political empowerment of the people.
“Just as we are determined to implement the 31-point reform plan, each BNP leader and activist stands resolute in the mission to re-establish democracy and uphold the people’s right to vote-whatever the cost,” he said during a virtual address to three party workshops.
Tarique stressed that the restoration of democracy and voting rights is intrinsically linked to the achievement of economic freedom for the people.
“In most nations, children are not targeted unless there’s a war. Yet, during the July-August movement, nearly a hundred children were brutally killed in this country by a fugitive dictator. These innocent lives were sacrificed in the fight for democracy,” he said.
Organized by the BNP’s Training Affairs Committee, the workshops titled ’31-Point State Structure Reform Proposal and Public Engagement’ were held in Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, and Panchagarh, drawing participation from 2,300 grassroots leaders and workers.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also joined the events virtually.
Tarique Rahman said the political and voting rights of the people have been eroded over the last 15 years under the Awami League’s rule.
“This has led to the breakdown of the judiciary, economy, healthcare, and education systems. We’re witnessing widespread social decay and lawlessness-like a diabetic patient whose unchecked illness gradually damages every organ,” he said.
He noted that BNP activists have been on the streets for over a decade and a half, striving to restore democracy. “Many were forcibly disappeared, others killed or maimed. Their sacrifices must not be forgotten.”
Tarique urged BNP members to take the 31-point reform agenda to every home-from towns to remote villages-so people can understand the party’s vision for a better future. “We’re fully committed to implementing these reforms if given the chance.”
He pointed out that while many now speak of reform, the BNP was the first to voice this need, challenging Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian regime.
“There’s a clear distinction between what the public wants, what we want, and what a particular vested group wants. That group has its own interests,” he observed.
As a party with support across all walks of life, Tarique emphasized that the BNP’s reform drive would reflect the aspirations of people from all sectors and professions.
“Different groups may have different priorities, but we are committed to advancing together, in unity. Diverging opinions are natural in a democratic society,” he said.
He also confirmed the BNP’s intention to engage in dialogue with all stakeholders to address national issues collectively. “Under no circumstances should the right to vote, political freedoms, or the process of democratic transition be hindered. If these rights are destroyed, the entire nation suffers.”
Tarique said that the BNP has earned public trust through long-standing struggle, resilience, and sacrifice. “We must live up to that trust,” he added.
Mirza Fakhrul, addressing the workshops, said that under Sheikh Hasina’s rule, Bangladesh’s state institutions have crumbled due to systematic misgovernance. “A fascist regime has replaced democratic norms as institutions have been deliberately dismantled,” he claimed.
To counter this decline, he said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia first introduced Vision 2030 in 2016, laying the groundwork for institutional reforms. Later, BNP Acting Chairman, in collaboration with allied parties, presented the 31-point reform proposal. “This proposal is our blueprint for national liberation,” he declared.