Tarique takes jab at Jamaat
In a dig at Jamaat-e-Islami, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman yesterday said the nation saw how the party killed hundreds of thousands and violated countless mothers and sisters during the Liberation War.
He made the remark in response to what he said were some quarters spreading on social media that "they had seen this party and that party and that it was time to see a different party now".
"But the people of this country had already seen that party in 1971 … how they killed hundreds of thousands to shield their own interests. They not only killed people, but their cohorts also violated countless mothers and sisters. We must remember this."
The BNP leader was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the party's six-day "Plan to Build the Country" programme at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh auditorium in the capital's Farmgate.
Tarique alleged that a certain party is peddling promises or guarantees -- understood by many as tickets to heaven -- for political gains. He then stressed that making claims over matters reserved for the Almighty amounts to a violation of faith.
Tarique urged Chhatra Dal leaders and activists to go door to door and tell people that those who preach such notions commit "shirk" -- and those who accept them risk falling into it as well.
Again, without directly naming Jamaat leaders, Tarique said they are spreading propaganda against BNP, much like the previous government did.
"We recently noticed a few individuals or parties making those same baseless claims. But here is the question: two of their senior leaders were in our government at that time. Both have passed away. They were respected political figures, and we should not speak ill of those who are no longer alive.
An aerial view shows the scene of a landslide in Condong village in Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia, yesterday. Devastating floods and landslides have killed more than 900 people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Photo: AFP
"What we can say is that they stayed in the BNP government until the very last day, showing their full confidence in Begum Khaleda Zia's fight against corruption."
He said the allegations of corruption during the BNP rule were raised, but now, with a more independent judiciary, no charges against them have been proven.
"All those were only propaganda. So, the conclusion remains -- only BNP has been able to pull Bangladesh away from corruption in the past, and only BNP will be able to do it again."
Tarique pointed out that he has been saying since August 5 last year that the days ahead would not be easy.
"More difficult times are awaiting us. Different conspiracies are being hatched from different directions. Only the people can stop these plots, and BNP, together with the people, can resist them."
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inaugurated the programme in the morning with BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in the chair.
FOCUS ON 8 SECTORS
BNP yesterday outlined an eight-sector plan it says it will implement if voted to power, covering family welfare, agriculture, health, education, sports, environment, religious affairs, and employment.
The pledges were highlighted at a six-hour training session where more than 1,000 Chhatra Dal leaders and activists were briefed on how to present the commitments to voters.
Under its Family Card, BNP plans to provide Tk 2,000-2,500 monthly assistance or essential food items to 50 lakh women.
For farmers, the proposed Farmer Card would ensure fair prices for fertiliser, seeds, and pesticides, along with incentives, easy-term loans, and insurance.
BNP's health sector plan promises one lakh new health workers -- 80 percent of them women -- for door-to-door screening of common diseases.
It pledges round-the-clock free medicine through primary health centres, affordable treatment for major illnesses, expanded maternal care at upazila hospitals, and year-round mosquito-control initiatives.
In education, the party plans to provide tablet computers to teachers, set up multimedia classrooms, introduce a "Learning with Happiness" curriculum at Class Six, and make technical education compulsory.
Arabic, Japanese, and Korean would be offered as third languages, alongside mid-day meals and improved toilet facilities.
The party also pledges compulsory technical education from Class Four and sports villages in all 64 districts.
Its environment plan includes re-excavating 20,000km of canals and rivers and planting 25 crore trees.
BNP also promises monthly honorariums and festival allowances for imams, khatibs, and muezzins, along with support for other religious institutions.
On employment, the party plans to provide free internet at educational institutions and short-term training for foreign languages and skills development.
