The era of politicians who only deliver speeches from rallies and stages while people remain deceived and the country gains nothing – is over, said Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed.
He made the remark while addressing a discussion organised by the Association of Engineers Bangladesh at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in Dhaka on Saturday.
Salahuddin said politics can no longer rely on rhetoric and slogans; it must become productive, and knowledge driven.
“Politics is the driving force behind everything, but if it lacks productivity, innovative ideas, and leadership based on knowledge and technology, then it cannot be called productive politics,” he said.
He argued that people now demand results, not promises. “The era of exploitative and speech-based politics is gone. People want to see what we are doing for them, what we will do for the country, and whether we understand the aspirations of the youth,” Salahuddin said.
Referring to the “White Paper on State of the Bangladesh Economy,” Salahuddin said that massive misuse of public wealth occurred under the previous government in the name of mega projects.
During Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, repeated time extensions and inflated costs of those projects led to misuse of around 1.6 billion dollars, he said, quoting the white paper.
He added that politically motivated loans had created a huge volume of non-performing assets in the banking sector, which could have financed the construction of 24 Padma Bridges.
“This plundering class has made Bangladesh poor. We were not a poor nation – we were made poor through corruption and looting,” Salahuddin said.
Addressing the engineers, he urged them to help rebuild public confidence. “People often ask why our infrastructures decay so quickly despite having skilled engineers. If we can change that perception, we can achieve three times more progress with the same resources,” he said.
Referring to the ongoing debate among political parties over the implementation of the July Charter, Salahuddin said that the process to fix this was ongoing.
However, Salahuddin alleged that certain vested interests were attempting to obstruct the electoral process.
“Some who continue to wield influence over state power do not want elections to take place. A few political forces are also indirectly supporting the current government, hoping that delaying the polls might prevent BNP’s timely return to power,” he added.
Salahuddin emphasised that such obstacles would not deter the party’s focus on delivering results for the people.
“Our priority remains ensuring that the democratic process is respected and that the aspirations of the nation are fulfilled. Delays or manipulations cannot stop the people’s mandate from shaping Bangladesh’s future,” he said.
