Tarique pledges Padma Barrage at Rajshahi rally
Staff Reporter :
BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman on Thursday unveiled his party’s development plans for Bangladesh’s northwestern region, pledging to revive the Barind Multipurpose Development Project, excavate canals and wetlands, dredge the Padma River, and begin work on a Padma barrage to tackle water shortages and unemployment.
Addressing a massive rally at Rajshahi’s historic Madrasah Ground-his first visit to the region in more than two decades-Tarique said the area continues to suffer from joblessness despite its large population.
“Whether the Padma has water or not, employment opportunities remain scarce.
We want to bring back the Barind project, restore canals and wetlands, dredge the Padma, and initiate construction of the Padma barrage. To make this happen, the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ must be victorious,” he said.
He also outlined plans to establish cold storage facilities for farmers, operationalise the IT Park, and set up vocational training institutes.
“Education alone is not enough; we want people to be self-reliant,” he said, adding that every family would be issued a Family Card.
He further announced plans for a specialised hospital in Rajshahi, development of agro-based industries, and the establishment of support mills.
Farmers, he said, would receive Agriculture Cards, and agricultural loans of up to Tk10,000 would be waived along with accrued interest.
Tarique cautioned against attempts to undermine the upcoming election, recalling
that people were previously deprived of their voting rights.
“This time, another group is secretly plotting to disrupt the vote. You must stay vigilant so that no one can sabotage the election. If the people remain alert on the 12th, the 13th will belong to them,” he told the crowd.
Emphasising peace and stability, he said the BNP does not wish to engage in conflict or disorder. “We believe peace is essential to serve the people. Criticism alone will not create jobs or cancel agricultural loans,” he said.
He urged the interim government to conduct impartial investigations into any untoward incidents, adding that the BNP would cooperate fully if its members were found involved, provided the process was fair and lawful.
Large crowds from Rajshahi and neighbouring districts gathered from early morning to welcome Tarique Rahman.
After arriving in the city, he visited the shrine of Hazrat Shah Makhdum (R) around 1:15pm before heading to the rally venue. Security was tightened in and around the shrine, with police, RAB, BGB, CSF personnel, and BNP volunteer teams deployed.
Party supporters from Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, and Natore converged at the Madrasah Ground, many wearing BNP headbands and carrying sheaves of paddy-the party’s electoral symbol-while chanting slogans.
A BNP woman leader from Charghat said she arrived after Fajr prayers just to see Tarique Rahman, expressing hope that he would work for the country as former prime minister Khaleda Zia had done.
According to the BNP media cell, Tarique Rahman formally introduced 13 BNP parliamentary candidates from the three districts during the rally.
As part of his ongoing campaign, Tarique is scheduled to visit the grave of Shaheed Abu Sayeed in Pirganj, Rangpur, on 30 January at 3:45pm, followed by an election rally at Rangpur Eidgah Field at 4:30pm.
On 31 January, he will address rallies at the BSCIC Industrial Park at 2pm and later at the Darun Charjana Bypass area on the Dhaka-Tangail highway at 4pm.
BNP leaders noted that this visit marks Tarique Rahman’s return to Rajshahi after 22 years, his last visit having taken place in 2004 during a union representatives’ conference.
They said the occasion has generated widespread enthusiasm and could become the largest political gathering in the city’s history.
Tarique Rahman launched his election campaign in Sylhet on 22 January, followed by rallies in Chattogram on 25 January and Mymensingh on 27 January.
So far, he has addressed 16 rallies nationwide, many drawing large crowds, with several events delayed by three to five hours as supporters waited late into the night for his arrival.