Rizvi calls for dignified society beyond rally-centric politics

Staff Reporter :

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday urged moving away from a political culture confined to banners, rallies and meetings, emphasising the need to build a society where professionals can live with dignity and self-respect.

“Politics cannot be limited to processions and gatherings alone,” he said while addressing the inauguration of an organisational action plan organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Motor Drivers’ Association at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.

Rizvi said motor vehicle drivers and other professionals must be able to live honourable lives without facing harassment, including undue police interference. “Laws should be formulated with these realities in mind,” he added.

He noted that ordinary people-particularly workers, labourers and the underprivileged-are the primary victims of oppression and harassment in the country. “To protect them from such injustices and ensure a dignified life, the profession of motor vehicle drivers must be elevated and recognised with respect,” he said.

Sharing his experiences abroad, Rizvi said many educated Bangladeshis in the United States, including university graduates, engineers and even doctors, work as Uber or taxi drivers while enjoying a decent standard of living.

“There is no discrimination based on profession there. A taxi driver receives the same social respect as any other professional,” he said, stressing the need to build a similar society in Bangladesh where no job is considered inferior.

Rizvi said BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has pledged to establish an inclusive and dignified society through his 31-point reform programme and other initiatives. He also pointed out that many educated youths remain unemployed even after completing university and should be given opportunities-like in developed countries-to earn livelihoods through services such as ride-sharing.

“However, this requires active support from the state, along with appropriate policies and legal frameworks,” he added.

BNP Volunteer Affairs Secretary and former student leader Mir Sarafat Ali Shafu, Assistant Organising Secretary Aminul Islam, Health Affairs Secretary Rafiqul Islam, and Bangladesh Nationalist Motor Drivers’ Association Member Secretary AKM VP Musa, among others, also spoke at the event.