Tarique warns of tough election, urges party to engage people

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday once again warned his party leaders that the next election will be a tough one amid a constant spread of lies and false campaigns, urging them to be serious and reach out to people with the party's plans and programmes, report agencies.
"You must study our plans. If you don't read them, if you don't know them, then how will you explain what you want to do and what your party wants to do? Others--I won't mention any names --but you know very well that in your constituencies, in your upazilas and municipalities, they are always spreading different kinds of lies to mislead people," he said.
Speaking virtually at the closing session of the fifth day of BNP's 'Plan to Build the Country' workshop, Tarique said there is no need for BNP leaders and workers to respond with lies.
"You don't need that. You already have many correct, truthful and realistic issues on your side to counter those," the BNP leader said.
He said when BNP leaders and activists are active in the field with BNP's plans and programmes in favour of the Sheaf of Paddy, other parties will not be able to confuse people.
The BNP leader called upon the party leaders and activists to take the party's national plans directly to the people, saying the proposed plans can only be carried out if they win public support in the upcoming election.
He said his party has this time not only given promises but also explained how those promises will be implemented within Bangladesh's existing administrative and economic structure.
Tarique said he warned over a year ago that the upcoming election would not be as easy as many believed.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has stated that Bangladesh is currently confronting two significant challenges. The first is establishing a robust political and economic foundation. The second is countering forces that mislead the public by exploiting religion.
"We want to state something very clearly that the year 1971 is our very existence. Remember this loudly and firmly. Today I saw in a newspaper that someone has called the generation of 1971 'the worst generation.' How can they show such audacity in saying this?" he said.
Speaking at the opening session of the fifth day of BNP's 'Plan to Build the Country' workshop at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) auditorium in the capital's Farmgate, the BNP leader also said certain quarters are trying to confuse the people by exploiting religion.
"A dark claw seems to be emerging from behind the shadows…another form of fascism is trying to grip us. Unfortunately, by using our beloved religion, they are trying to mislead the people of Bangladesh," he said.
The BNP leader called upon his party colleagues to stand firm against these forces.
"Today we face a new struggle. On one side, it is the struggle to place Bangladesh on firm political and economic footing. On the other side, it is the struggle to resist these destructive forces. You must move forward keeping both in mind. We always practise positive politics. We always think progressively," he said.
Fakhrul told the party leaders and workers joined the workshop that it would not be enough to simply listen to the discussions and take notes. "You must present these ideas to the people… these are the things we want to do. If you do this, the people will surely be drawn to you. You have to win them over," he said.
The BNP leader said struggle is a part of human life, and a nation also has to struggle to rise. "We have carried out these struggles again and again. Our people have sacrificed their lives, our boys have sacrificed their lives. The boys of this generation also gave their lives in the July 2024 movement, just as our freedom fighters did in 1971. Let us unite all our strength and take a vow to win this battle."