Dhaka: “Ignoring the rights of those you have deprived, placing them before you yet denying them a place in your embrace,such humiliation will one day make all equal.”
I have begun with these immortal lines of Rabindranath Tagore because the time has truly come to realize the vision of building a sustainable Bangladesh through the BNP founded by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman. It is not enough merely to attain state power; a political party that represents a vast population must, in consideration of the people’s interests and needs, nominate honest, talented, hardworking, and well-educated young men and women to Parliament.
In particular, it is extremely important that at least one qualified, educated young woman be elected as an MP from every district. Such women leaders will be able to travel across their districts and directly bring educated women from politically aware families into party politics—something that is often quite difficult for male MPs to accomplish. Depriving women of opportunities to play a meaningful role in politics will make it impossible to establish a sustainable political future for the BNP.
The party cannot become well-organized if those who have long struggled politically and remained deprived are not given shelter within the BNP’s political fold. Party elders must also ensure that family members of those who, in the past, conspired deeply against Begum Khaleda Zia and our leader Tarique Rahman—abandoning the party, forming new ones, placing the Awami League in power, and secretly benefiting from it—are never granted nominations. Failure to do so would dim the dream of building a self-reliant nation envisioned by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman.
The time has come for serious reflection. If, in the upcoming elections, we fail to nominate suitable individuals as party MPs, the very definition of a “people’s representative” may one day change. Therefore, to realize Ziaur Rahman’s dream and ensure the BNP’s political longevity, respectable, educated, honest, and capable individuals must be brought forward. Today, more than ever, the BNP needs those dedicated and qualified leaders who once refrained from contesting elections to protect their dignity and self-respect.
For this reason, it is crucial to ensure that honest, capable, hardworking, talented, selfless, and humble leaders and activists receive party nominations in the next election. Otherwise, the steps Tarique Rahman is taking to uplift the marginalized masses may remain unfulfilled. This could also become a major obstacle to the dream of building a developed Bangladesh envisioned by Begum Khaleda Zia.
My late father, Ekramul Haque, was the treasurer of the Naogaon District BNP since its founding. In the early days (the 1970s), General Ziaur Rahman entrusted him with the sacred responsibility of organizing BNP politics in Naogaon district.
Throughout his long political life, he fulfilled that responsibility with dedication and intellect. Through my father, I had the honor of receiving awards from Begum Khaleda Zia in Naogaon—first for securing first place in singing at the National Children’s Competition, and later in 1994, for placing on the SSC merit list and receiving an award from her for the third time. These remain among the greatest blessings of my life.
Although my professional life began with a job and later expanded into industry and business, I have always been involved with service-oriented organizations. This allowed me to travel extensively—from my birthplace Naogaon and my own district Bogura to remote rural areas across the country, as well as through the narrow streets of Dhaka. I had the opportunity to speak with grassroots BNP leaders and activists, whose complaints are countless.
