Tarique seeks ‘Yes’ vote, pledges coal-based industries

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Friday sought "yes" vote in the upcoming referendum, scheduled to be held along with the February 12 general election, and also pledged coal-based industries in the north.

Speaking as the chief guest at a BNP election rally at Eidgah ground in Rangpur, he called on voters to cast the "yes" vote for the July Charter of Change.

Earlier in the day, around 2:00pm, he left Bogura for Rangpur.

At around 5:55pm, Tarique Rahman went to Babanpur Jafarpara village in Pirganj upazila, where Shaheed Abu Sayed, the first martyr of the July 2024 Uprising, is buried.

After offering prayers at the grave, he sat in the yard in front of Abu Sayed's house and spoke with his family members.

Later, Tarique Rahman left for the rally at the Eidgah ground in Rangpur around 6:30pm.

Tarique Rahman publicly challenged Jamaat-e-Islami over its past alliance with the BNP, asking why the party remained in coalition for five years if it now portrays the BNP as "bad".

The BNP chairman accused Jamaat leaders of spreading false narratives about his party in recent days.

"There is a party that has been lying about the BNP for several days. They repeated it again today," Tarique said, addressing the issue directly.

Referring to the BNP-led government that came to power through the eighth parliamentary elections from 2001 to 2006, he highlighted that Jamaat was the main coalition partner during that period.

"They were with us, two of them, from 2001 to 2006," Tarique said.

"My question is, good people stay with good people, right? If BNP really were a bad party, why were they with us for five years?"

He added, "Either the party leaders have lost their minds, or they are speaking falsely about their own leadership."

During his roughly 25-minute address, he promised that if BNP came to power, agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000 for farmers would be repaid by the government, including interest.

"Farmers will not have to pay these loans themselves," he said. He added, "Many people say Rangpur is a poor region. But I think this area has the greatest potential. To realise that potential, we need the right leadership."