Staff Reporter :
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday reiterated that the upcoming national election will be highly challenging amid the relentless spread of misinformation and smear campaigns.
He urged party leaders to become more serious and engage deeply with the public by clearly presenting BNP’s plans and programmes.
“You must study our plans. If you don’t read them, if you don’t understand them, how will you explain what BNP wants to achieve? In your constituencies, upazilas and municipalities, others-no need to mention names-are constantly spreading falsehoods to mislead the people,” Tarique said while virtually addressing the closing session of the fifth day of BNP’s ‘Plan to Build the Country’ workshop.
He said BNP activists do not need to counter lies with lies. “You already have enough correct, honest and realistic issues to respond with.
When BNP leaders take the field with our plans and programmes, in favour of the Sheaf of Paddy, no one will be able to confuse the public,” he added.
Calling on party members to take BNP’s national plans directly to the people, Tarique said the proposed reforms can only be implemented if BNP earns public trust and secures victory in the upcoming polls.
This time, he said, BNP has not only made pledges but also outlined how these commitments will be executed within Bangladesh’s existing administrative and economic framework.
Tarique reminded the audience that he had cautioned over a year ago that the next election would not be as easy as many assumed.
“Back then, many dismissed my words. But now all of you can see what I meant. My warning is slowly becoming reality.
If we still fail to take things seriously, the country’s very existence and sovereignty will be endangered,” he said.
He stressed that only restoring democracy through the next election can save the nation.
“Every BNP member has a role in building that democratic foundation. If you take to the field, go door to door and meet the people, we can protect this country,” he said.
Tarique emphasised that BNP’s proposed plans are meant for the welfare of 20 crore people, not just for the party.
Leaders must rise above personal grievances and focus on convincing citizens about BNP’s vision for national reconstruction.
“I could speak about my mother Begum Khaleda Zia’s condition or my own suffering, but that is not why we are in politics. People will come to you with their pain-so we must stand strong for them,” he said.
He urged BNP leaders to build themselves in a manner that earns public confidence.
Drawing on his 30 years of political experience, he said that if the eight key issues highlighted in the workshop are taken to the grassroots and later implemented with public backing, people from all walks of life will benefit.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inaugurated the day’s programme at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB), with Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi presiding.
Leaders and activists from across the country joined the session to receive training on eight thematic areas aimed at helping them communicate BNP’s plans, manifesto and promises ahead of the election.
