BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has pledged to rebuild Dhaka with wider roads and more playgrounds, urging voters to back the sheaf of paddy on 12 February to transform the capital into a safer and more liveable city.
Addressing a series of street rallies across Dhaka, Tarique said that a BNP government would build at least 40 playgrounds and widen key roads in the capital to ease congestion, improve mobility, and ensure safer movement for residents.
“The election will determine whether the country can be rebuilt and whether people’s lives can truly change,” he said, arguing that development would be possible only if the BNP returned to power, citing the party’s past experience in running the country.
Speaking at rallies held across six parliamentary constituencies under Dhaka North from afternoon till night on Sunday, the BNP chief said that holding an election alone will not be enough – every candidate contesting with the sheaf of paddy symbol must be elected to bring meaningful change.
Rebuilding the country, generating employment, restoring law and order to ensure public safety, and ensuring zero-tolerance for corruption would be the BNP’s top priorities.
When Tarique asked the crowd who they would be voting for, the thousands of party leaders, activists and supporters in attendance chanted in unison: “Dhaner shish, dhaaner shish!”
He said the BNP’s manifesto has outlined its plans to change people’s and implementation would begin immediately if the the party was elected.
Focusing on Dhaka, Tarique said a BNP government would address waterlogging and hospital-related problems alongside long-term urban reforms, promising to turn the capital into a “safe city”, expand open spaces for children, and widen roads to improve traffic flow and overall quality of life.
At his first street rally at ECB Chattar in his constituency, Dhaka-17, Rahman said Dhaka would be developed into a city “where people can breathe freely”. With the votes and prayers of residents, he said development work would begin not only in Dhaka-17 but across the country after the election.
Referring to road infrastructure, he said roads would be widened so children could play safely in open fields and elders, mothers and sisters could walk comfortably at different times of the day. He also pledged to implement several long-pending development projects that locals have been demanding for years.
Tarique is contesting the election in Dhaka-17, which includes Gulshan, Banani and the Dhaka Cantonment area. He said the existing road from ECB Chattar to Jasimuddin Road would be widened to improve living standards and ease movement.
Towards the end of his speech, Tarique described himself as a son of the area, recalling childhood memories in the area where he grew up, and once again urged voters to support sheaf of paddy candidates.
At another rally at the Lal Math ground in Pallabi, Mirpur, Tarique said that if the BNP formed the government, a family card would be introduced to make women self-reliant, while an agriculture card would be launched for farmers. He said that agricultural loans of up to Tk10,000, including interest, would be waived, and easy-term loans would be provided for overseas employment.
He said Dhaka’s waterlogging issues would be addressed through canal excavation programmes under a nationwide re-excavation initiative. If elected, he said, BNP would transform Dhaka and other cities into safe urban centres where people could live, work and do business without fear.
Introducing Shafikul Islam Milton at one of the rallies, Tarique Rahman urged voters to ensure the sheaf of paddy candidate’s victory, noting that Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman was contesting the same seat.
None of the BNP’s plans could be implemented without public support, Tarique added, stating that the party believes that the source of all its power was the people, assuring the audience that BNP was only making promises it could fulfil.
Earlier in the day, Tarique also addressed rallies in Dhaka-11, Dhaka-13 and Dhaka-14.
