Correspondent:
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman has said it is now time to take the country ahead as it was destroyed by the authoritarian rule of Sheikh Hasina over the past 15 years.
He made the remarks today, Sunday, during the opening speech at the district BNP conference held at the Narail Government High School ground.
The conference is taking place after 16 years in Narail district. Tarique Rahman addressed the conference virtually.
“The country was destroyed over the last 15 years. Now the time has come to build it. We presented a 31-point proposal before the people of the country almost two and a half years ago. These 31 points are our plan for how we will take the country ahead from the destruction caused by the murderous authoritarian (Sheikh Hasina’s government) that fled the country,” Tarique Rahman said.
Stating that the country has to be rebuilt like his party, the BNP acting chairman said, “The way we have taken steps to reorganise the party through this conference, likewise, we must rebuild the country. We have to repair this state and its structures because the people of Bangladesh have seen in the past, whatever was done for the country and the people was done by the BNP. Maybe we could not do as much as we wanted to due to various reasons. Despite this, whatever could be done, was done by the BNP, your favourite party.”
The BNP acting chief further said, “We need to build the education system of the country so that the future generations can stand on a solid foundation. We have to rebuild the economy, support agriculture and farmers, and develop the country’s industrial sector. We also need to rebuild the healthcare system so that we can provide healthcare services to the marginalised people.”
Tarique Rahman termed the people, who attended the rally, as soldiers of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
“You are the soldiers of these two individuals, for whom the highest priority is Bangladesh and its people. That is why, the people of Bangladesh are looking towards you and your party, hoping that this party will guide the people and move Bangladesh forward on the global stage, as it did in the past.”
Amanullah Aman, an advisor to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, inaugurated the conference at 11:00 am.
BNP’s acting organising secretary for Khulna Division Anindya Islam, assistant organising secretary Jayanta Kumar Kundu, Narail district BNP president Biswas Jahangir Alam, general secretary Monirul Islam, vice-president Zulfiqar Ali, joint general secretary Ali Hasan, and organising secretary Shahriar Rizvi, among others, addressed the event.
The second session of the conference began after 2:00 pm, where elections for the posts of president, general secretary, and organising secretary of Narail district unit BNP were held at the district Shilpakala Academy Auditorium. Voting ended at 5:00 pm.
The candidates for the president posts were the current president Biswas Jahangir Alam and vice-president Zulfiqar Ali.
For the general secretary position, candidates were the current general secretary Md Monirul Islam, organising secretary Shahriar Rizvi, and Kamrul Islam.
Besides, four candidates contested for the post of organising secretary.
