Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday said that his party wanted to make a self-dependent Bangladesh through ensuring its people’s rights and making them self-reliant.

‘We have freed the country from autocracy, now we have to ensure their rights. Ensuring only the right to vote and right to speak is not enough, people must be made financially self-reliant and able to stand on their own feet,’ he said.

Stating that the BNP believes that people of the country are the only source of political power, Tarique said that for that reason they believed in prosperity of the people.

The BNP chairman was addressing the first rally to formally begin their election campaign at the Sylhet Government Alia Madrassah ground at noon for the forthcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections.

‘We have started the journey to restore democracy. But that’s not the end. We  want to stand beside the farmers, women, and unemployed educated youths to make them financially self-reliant. For that you have to cast your vote on February 12 for the Paddy Sheaf,’ he urged.

Mentioning half of the country’s people women, he said that they wanted to provide family card to all families of the low-income and middle-income group people to make them self-reliant. 

‘We want to empower educated women economically. We want to create employment for the unemployed youths. We do not want to keep anybody unemployed in the country. But, to implement the programmes of the family card, the agricultural card, we have to make the paddy sheaf victorious,’ Tarique said.

He said that a quarter already started to hatch conspiracy against the achievement of the 2024 uprising ideals for which 13 people sacrificed their lives only in Sylhet.

‘You have seen recently in newspapers and different social media platforms that how the postal ballots have been manipulated, which had been sent to different countries, including the Middle East. Just like those who once had rigged your votes and then fled the country,’ the BNP chairman said.

Stating that the country was liberated with the sacrifice of lakhs of lives in 1971, he said that the countrymen had seen what role a quarter had played then and hundreds of thousands of our brothers were martyred and mothers and sisters were dishonored.  

Some individuals say that you watched this (party) and watched that, now see us, Tarique said indicating that party.

‘The people of the country saw their role in 1971. Lakhs of people in the country were martyred because of them. People have already seen them. That’s why I say - not Delhi, not Pindi and neither any other country, Bangladesh is first of all,’ the BNP chairman commented.

Mentioning that the owner of the Kaaba, paradise, hell, world, sun, moon and everything of the universe is Allah, he exclaimed that how they offer you tickets to the paradise.

‘It is not only a deception but also a shirk,’ Tarique commented.  

‘So, they are deceiving you before the polls. Now you should think that how much they will deceive after the elections,’ he questions.

He also said that measures should be taken so that every individual of the country can stay well, can move safely on streets.

The BNP chairperson concluded his speech after seeking people’s mandate in the upcoming national election and promising that they will run the country based on the justice of prophet Mohammad (S) if they are voted to for government.

Among other, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakfrul Islam Alamgir and local leaders spoke the programme, with the party’s Sylhet district president Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury in the chair.

After finishing the first rally for election campaign, Tarique started for Dhaka from Sylhet by road.

On his way back, he addressed a series of public meetings in several districts.

These included Ainpur playground in Sherpur of Moulvibazar, the proposed upazila parishad ground at Shaistaganj in Habiganj, Kutthapara playground in Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria, Bhairab Stadium in Kishoreganj, a venue in the municipal area of Narsingdi, and Gawsia in Rupganj under Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj.

Earlier on Wednesday night, Tarique Rahman reached in Sylhet airport from Dhaka on a two-day tour.

After local leaders of the BNP and its affiliated organisations received him, he visited the shrines of Shahjalal and Shah Paran at Dargah Gate and Khadim areas respectively in the city and offered Fateha.

Tarique subsequently paid his respects at the grave of MAG Osmani in the divisional city. Osmani served as the commander-in-chief of the Bangladesh forces during the 1971 War of Independence.

The BNP chairman along with his wife Jubaida Rahman also visited the ancestral home of his father-in-law former Navy Chief Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan, who later served as the post and telecommunications affairs minister. 

The BNP also released its official election theme song as political parties are intensifying  preparations for the upcoming national parliamentary election.

The theme song was formally unveiled shortly after midnight on Wednesday at a programme held at Hotel Lakeshore in Gulshan, Dhaka.

The launch was conducted by BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in the presence of senior party leaders.