Ahead of the upcoming national election, BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman has sought the support and cooperation of the Hindu community. He stated, “For the present and future of Bangladesh, and to establish a safe Bangladesh, the upcoming national election is a huge opportunity for us. I would like to draw the attention of our Hindu brothers and sisters across the country and say: in the upcoming election, BNP seeks your support and active cooperation.”
He made these remarks as the chief guest, joining virtually from London, UK, at a goodwill exchange event organised by BNP for the Hindu community on the occasion of Janmashtami. The event was held on Thursday evening at the Engineers Institution Auditorium in Ramna, Dhaka.
Tarique Rahman further said, “BNP and I believe that political parties and beliefs may differ, but the state belongs to all; religion may be personal, but the right to security is for everyone.” At the same time, he urged everyone to remain vigilant and cautious ahead of the upcoming election.
In his speech, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “Today, I repeatedly recall the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War. I want to say that 1971 gave me an independent country, a territory, and an independent identity – because of that, I exist today, I survive. I also remember the martyrs of July-August ’24, because they gave us the opportunity to dream of democracy. We must keep both these things in mind. Today, there is a hidden effort to make us forget ’71; against this, all citizens of Bangladesh must unite. Just as the truth of July-August ’24 is undeniable, so is the truth of the nine-month Liberation War of ’71. But it was BNP’s founder, the martyred president Ziaur Rahman, who declared that great Liberation War.”
He added, “Today, there is a new conspiracy claiming that a form of extremism is rising in your Bangladesh. We cannot allow this extremism to rise.”
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated, “In the past, there has been much politics of division. No one should engage in divisive politics here anymore. For the existence of Bangladesh, to sustain it, to move it forward, and to develop it further, we must all work unitedly.”
Among those present at the event were BNP Standing Committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, and Dr Prof AZM Zahid Hossain; Vice Chairman Nitai Roy Chowdhury; Joint Secretary General Abdus Salam Azad; central leaders Abdul Bari Danny, John Gomes, and others.
The event was conducted by BNP’s Religious Affairs Assistant Secretary Amrendu Das Apu. Speakers included members of the BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council Bijan Kanti Sarkar; Religious Affairs Secretary Rafiqul Islam Jamal; Assistant Organizing Secretary Joyanta Kumar Kundu; Assistant Secretary for Marginalized Workforce Development Aparna Roy Das; Executive Committee members Ranesh Dutt, Debashish Roy Madhu, and Nipun Roy Chowdhury; Tapan Chandra Majumder of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Welfare Front; SN Tarun De; Milton Boidya; Joydeb Joy of the Puja Celebration Front; Sushant Chakraborty of the Hindu Mahajote; Joyanta Dev, President of the Dhaka Metropolitan Puja Celebration Council; Basudev Dhar, President of the Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council; and Provu Bimola Prasad of Inkon, among others.