Prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday urged the BNP leaders and activists to stand by the helpless people of the country.

‘Today is the 45th martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman. Those of you who have been associated with the party for a long time know that since the martyrdom of Shaheed Zia, we have tried to stand by the helpless people on this day,’ he said.

In this context, the prime minister said, ‘We have tried as much as we can for the helpless people who are in different places on this day and those who are in difficulty’. 

‘I appeal to you, not only on behalf of the party but also on your personal initiative, to stand by the helpless people as much as you can. This is the lesson of Shaheed Zia.’

He made these remarks at an event after distributing clothes and dry food items among the poor and destitute on the occasion of the death anniversary of BNP founder and late president Ziaur Rahman at the party’s central office in the capital’s Naya Paltan area in the afternoon.

Tarique Rahman said, ‘Let us take this oath that we will try from our respective positions so that we can extend our helping hands to the helpless people according to our ability...Let this be our expectation on this day, let this be our success.’

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general Habib-Un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Dhaka South city unit convener Rafiqul Alam Majnu, Dhaka North city convener Aminul Haque, Dhaka South city corporation administrator Abdus Salam, Dhaka North City Corporation administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan were present, among others.

Earlier, while speaking at a function at Jod Pukur ground in Khilgaon, the prime minister asked the city dwellers to come forward to making Dhaka city free from pollution and waste.

 ‘....we who live in Dhaka city, we who are citizens of Bangladesh, this is our country, this is our city. This must be understood,’ he added.

‘Of course, the city corporations will do its work. The cleaning workers of the city corporations are working, they are cleaning. But as citizens of the city, we all have a responsibility to reduce the amount of garbage we produce. Then the city will remain as clean as possible,’ Tarique Rahman said.

Stressing the importance of keeping Dhaka city clean, the Prime Minister said, ‘If this city is clean, the environment will be better for us, just as it will be easier for you to walk. Similarly, it will be easier for the cleaning workers to keep the city cleaner.’

Since the death of president Ziaur Rahman, he said, BNP men, on this day, have been trying to extend their hands of cooperation to the needy people in their respective areas in various ways.

‘Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman showed us how we will build the country through works. We, as a political party, will try from our position, the government will try to increase the number of affluent people by adopting various plans and programmes, create employment, and try to solve this problem through various programmes,’ he said.

Calling upon affluent people to come forward, the Prime Minister said if the affluent people of this country come forward in the same way, then it will be possible to change the fate of the country and its people.

He said that late president Ziaur Rahman started the politics of changing the fate of this country and the fate of the people of this country.

In the last February 12 elections, by the grace of Allah, the people of Bangladesh gave the Bangladesh Nationalist Party the responsibility of building the country, Tarique Rahman said.

‘The source of all power of BNP is the people. So if the cooperation of those people remains with us, if the help of those people remains with us, if the support of those people is with us, then Insha Allah the government will be able to change the fate of the country’s people soon,’ he added.