“The government cannot succeed without the party’s support and coordination. We must enter into a ‘new struggle’ to fulfil the promises made to the people before the election,” he said.
Tarique Rahman added, “One battle has ended, and another has begun the battle to implement the commitments we made to the people.”
He made these remarks in his opening speech as the chief guest at a views-exchange meeting with grassroots leaders from BNP, Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) auditorium in the city’s Farmgate area this morning.
The closed-door meeting began at 10:45 am with the slogan ‘Sobar Agee Bangladesh (Bangladesh First)’.
Addressing the leaders, Tarique Rahman said, “You were on the ground during the election held on 12 February. I had said that the election would be difficult, and each of you felt that at every stage. The people have supported our party and our manifesto.”
He went on to say that the manifesto presented before the election had now become the manifesto of the people. “Until the day before the election, it was the manifesto of the BNP. After the election, especially after we formed the government, this manifesto has become the manifesto of the government and the people of Bangladesh,” he explained.
“Fifty-two per cent of the country’s people voted in favour of this manifesto. Now, we must do our best to implement everything we promised in it,” Tarique Rahman added.
The Prime Minister further reminded the leaders of the party’s pre-election promises to ensure good governance, create a healthy educational environment for students, and guarantee safety for all citizens.
“When we were fighting against autocracy and fascism, we told the people we wanted to build a country where no one would face repression, enforced disappearances, or political killings. We wanted a political environment where everyone could freely express their opinions,” he said.
Urging the party leaders and activists to support the government in fulfilling the manifesto, Tarique Rahman stated, “We say that the current government is a BNP government. If BNP does not cooperate, the government will not succeed in many areas.”
The meeting was also attended by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who was the special guest, with BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in the chair.
BNP Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Selima Rahman, and Dr AZM Zahid Hossain were also present.
This was the first views-exchange meeting between BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the party’s grassroots leaders after the 13th parliamentary election held on 12 February.
