Unity a must to ensure free and fair election

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Sunday emphasized the need for unity to ensure that the upcoming national parliamentary election is free, fair, and impartial, according to BSS.

"The sole claimants to the ownership of this country are all of its people. If we want to establish this truth, we must all unite for a free, fair and impartial election, for people's voting rights, for the establishment of democracy and for freedom of speech," he said while speaking as the chief guest at a view exchange programme titled "The Role and Responsibility of Poets and Writers in the Transition to Democracy."

The event was organised by the BNP Media Cell at the National Press Club in the city.

President of the Jatiya Kabita Parishad Mohan Raihan presided over the event while its general secretary Rezauddin Stalin delivered welcome speech.

Tarique Rahman put emphasis on a stable environment in the country. "It is absolutely necessary to create an accountable situation in the country. If we can do this, we will be able to establish the rights you have been advocating for, and that is only possible by protecting people's voting rights," he said.

Mentioning that BNP has no difference in ideals with the people of Bangladesh, the BNP acting chairman said, "Today, many have spoken about belief and conviction in a unified manner. I believe our ideological position is also correct, one, and identical. We don't have even the slightest difference with your firm stance on independence, sovereignty, and democracy."

"Like you, we are committed to resisting and preventing the resurgence of the autocrat that the people of Bangladesh ousted," he added.