Staff Reporter :
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Monday called on people to remain united against all conspiracies, expressing confidence that there is no reason for fear and that the national election will be held on time.
Speaking virtually at a discussion programme, Tarique said the gun attack on Sharif Osman bin Hadi, a prospective independent candidate in the Dhaka-8 constituency, was part of a plot to derail the election process.
“I want to clearly say on this proud occasion of Victory Day that those who seek to intimidate freedom-loving and pro-democracy people will surely fail, InshAllah. There is no reason to be afraid,” he said.
Noting that victory and defeat, as well as life and death, are determined by Almighty Allah, Tarique said that if the nation moves forward together-united and placing trust in Allah-to establish people’s rights, conspirators will inevitably be forced to retreat.
He said history has repeatedly demonstrated that no force can stop a united people. “This truth was proven in 1971, in 2024, on November 7, 1975, and during the anti-autocracy movement of the 1990s. I firmly believe that the election will be held at the scheduled time, InshAllah,” he added.
Expressing his desire to personally participate in election campaigning, Tarique said amid applause, “Ahead of the upcoming election, I will stand with you in the people’s march-from villages and towns to ports and cities, from wards and neighbourhoods to lanes, streets and highways-to establish people’s rights, InshAllah.”
BNP has already announced that Tarique Rahman will return to Dhaka on December 25 after spending 18 years in exile in London.
The discussion programme was organised by BNP at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, to mark Victory Day. At the outset, special prayers were offered for the speedy recovery of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who is currently receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital.
Tarique said the people of Bangladesh have long observed that an anti-Bangladesh vested group has repeatedly tried to obstruct elections by imposing unjustified conditions or creating various pretexts.
“Despite numerous obstacles, after more than one and a half decades, the Election Commission has finally announced the date of the long-cherished national election,” he said.
Urging vigilance, the BNP leader said conspiracies are still ongoing. “The shooting of Osman Hadi-a courageous son standing on the side of democracy-is part of that conspiracy. What was his crime?” he asked.
As a political activist, Tarique said several questions arise in his mind. “First, who would benefit if the current interim government fails? Second, who would gain if the interim government continues without an election? Third, who stands to profit if a people’s government is not formed through votes? I believe the answers to these questions reveal the identity of the attackers. The enemies of independence and democracy are hidden there.”
He further said that a fallen and fugitive fascist clique has long distorted the history of Bangladesh’s independence and the Liberation War to serve narrow partisan interests.
Attempts were made in the past to turn the history of independence into party-centric history, and even now, a defeated group is trying to fabricate a new “victory narrative,” he added.
Tarique said Victory Day should not be observed with a mindset of revenge, but with a renewed pledge to build a prosperous and democratic Bangladesh by ensuring that the benefits of victory reach every household.
“The message of victory must not remain confined to slogans. To ensure that the fruits of victory reach every home, BNP and the Sheaf of Paddy seek the people’s support and cooperation in the upcoming national election,” he said.
Tarique said BNP believes independence and democracy cannot endure without political and economic empowerment of the people. “Whenever democracy has been undermined in Bangladesh, independence and sovereignty have also been endangered.”
Stressing that a nation cannot be strong by keeping its people powerless, he said BNP’s core objective is to establish a government elected directly by the people and accountable to them. “That is why BNP has always taken a firm stance in favour of free, fair and neutral elections.”
He said the upcoming national election is not an election for “experiment” or “experience” alone. “This election is more complex and more important than any before, as it is linked to the dreams, hopes and future of current and future generations, as well as the sovereignty of Bangladesh.”
Tarique said BNP has formulated its nation-building programme with the goal of transforming the next decade into a decade of change.
“Half of our population is women, over 40 million are young people, and millions are farmers and workers. Harnessing the strength of this working population to consolidate the spirit of victory is BNP’s main objective. By building a self-reliant and prosperous Bangladesh, we want to make every future Victory Day more meaningful and glorious,” he said.
He reiterated that democracy and independence cannot be sustained without empowering people politically and economically, adding that history has repeatedly proven that threats to democracy also threaten national sovereignty.
The discussion was chaired by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and moderated by Publicity Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku.
BNP Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed and Hafizuddin Ahmed; Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Abdus Salam; former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Prof Anwarullah Chowdhury; Jubo Dal leader Nurul Islam Nayan; and Swechchhasebak Dal leader Rajib Ahsan, among others, spoke at the event.
