Another Battle Has Begun

Prime Minister holds first closed-door meeting with party ground leaders since February election

Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday called on his party’s grassroots leaders to rally behind the government to implement the election manifesto, warning that without the party’s active cooperation the government would struggle to succeed.

“One of our battles has ended. Now another battle has begun.

That is to implement the commitments we made to the people,” Tarique said at a views-exchange meeting with ground-level
leaders of BNP, Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh auditorium in Farmgate, Dhaka.

The closed-door meeting, which began around 10:45 am under the slogan Sobar Agee Bangladesh (Bangladesh First), was the first direct exchange between the Prime Minister and BNP’s grassroots leadership since the 13th parliamentary election held on February 12.

Addressing the gathering as chief guest, Tarique said the manifesto his party presented before the election had now become the people’s manifesto.

“Until the day before the election, the manifesto we presented was the manifesto of BNP.

After the election, especially after we formed the government, this manifesto has turned into the manifesto of our government and the people of Bangladesh,” he said.

“Because 52 percent of the country’s people voted and gave their verdict in favour of this manifesto.

So, now we must try our level best to implement everything we said in this manifesto,” he added.

Tarique acknowledged the February election was not easy. “You were on the ground during the election. I had said that the election would be difficult.

Each of you felt that at every stage. The people have supported our party and our election manifesto,” he told the gathering.

Stressing the importance of party support for government functioning, the Prime Minister said: “The government cannot succeed without the support and coordination of the party.

So we have to enter into a new struggle to implement all the promises we made to the people before the election.”

He reminded party leaders of the key promises BNP made to voters — ensuring good governance, creating a healthy educational environment for students, and guaranteeing safety for women, men and children.

Tarique also recalled the pledges made during BNP’s years of movement against what the party termed autocracy and fascism.

“We told the people that we want to build a country where no one will face repression, enforced disappearances or killings for political reasons.

We want a political situation in the country where we can debate and freely express our opinions,” he said.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir attended as special guest, with Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in the chair.

BNP Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Selima Rahman and Dr AZM Zahid Hossain were also present.