BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Wednesday emphasised that his party seeks accountability, reconciliation and the protection of democratic rights, not revenge, despite enduring severe political repression over the past 16 years.
Posting on his verified Facebook page for Human Rights Day (10 December), Tarique said “Bangladesh lived beneath a darkened sky” during the period, where fear replaced basic freedoms.
He also highlighted midnight raids, fabricated cases, custodial torture, and the constant threat faced by families of those targeted. “No political organisation bore this burden more than BNP,” he wrote.
“Across extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, custodial deaths, and false charges, our leaders, activists and supporters formed the largest share of the wounded and missing. The 2024 mass uprising brought further casualties, with BNP members again paying the highest toll,” he said.
Tarique also noted the wider impact of repression, affecting students, journalists, writers and ordinary citizens, depriving them of dignity, safety, and freedom of expression — the “everyday essentials” Human Rights Day seeks to protect.
He recounted being silenced himself in 2015 by government orders banning newspapers, electronic media and social media from publishing his words. Yet he said he continued to fight for the rights and democracy that was denied to millions.
Tarique paid tribute to his mother and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, calling her a “national symbol of resilience” despite imprisonment, politically motivated cases, and attempts to erase her legacy.
He said her steadfastness mirrored the endurance of countless ordinary citizens and underscored the principle that rights belong to every citizen.
Sharing personal accounts, Tarique recalled his own family’s suffering, including the loss of his brother, but stressed that such pain should not breed bitterness. Instead, it should strengthen the resolve to build a fairer and more inclusive nation.
“What Bangladesh needs now is larger than politics. We envision a united country where human rights are guaranteed, plurality of opinions is respected, opposition is seen as a healthy part of democracy, and no one is erased for their beliefs,” he said.
He reaffirmed that BNP rejects vengeance politics and prioritises resolution over retribution. He urged citizens to remember victims such as Abrar Fahad, Mushtaq Ahmed, Ilias Ali, Sajedul Islam Sumon, and Sagar-Runi, to prevent the repetition of past injustices.
Tarique concluded that despite years of suffering, BNP has emerged stronger, guided by truth, justice, accountability, and a shared commitment to the rule of law.
He said the party remains committed to building a Bangladesh where every voice and every life is honoured, and human rights are protected as essential to the nation’s future.
