At a discussion meeting with media editors, BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman appeared as a mature and attentive political leader. He outlined his plans for development in areas such as water management, health, agriculture, women’s rights, vocational education, skilled overseas employment export, and the IT sector.

However, his proposed Agriculture Card and Family Card schemes remain unclear. Questions have been raised about the purpose of these cards, sources of funding, safeguards against political misuse, the absence of expert consultation, and the lack of pilot projects. In particular, there are serious doubts about the rationale for a universal Family Card and the feasibility of financing such a large-scale programme.

Having spent more than a decade and a half in the United Kingdom, Tarique Rahman has closely observed the planning processes and governance mechanisms of the Westminster system. He has directly witnessed the policy formulation and implementation approaches of the two main political parties—the Labour Party and the Conservatives. He has also seen firsthand the workings of a developed economy, where advanced transport infrastructure, health and medical services, quality education, robust social protection programmes, and institutional social values function in a complementary manner.