BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said that the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election, scheduled before Ramadan in February, will be the “first step towards restoring the people’s rights” in Bangladesh.
Speaking at the biennial conference of the BNP’s Rajshahi Metropolitan unit, Tarique emphasised that a credible election is essential to reversing years of political and institutional decline.
“The interim government has announced that the national election will be held before the upcoming Ramadan. Holding the national election will mark the first step in restoring the people’s rights,” he told party activists.
Tarique also pledged that, if voted to power, the BNP would take legal steps, including seeking intervention from international courts, to secure Bangladesh’s fair share of water from transboundary rivers. “We will go to the international court if necessary to secure Bangladesh’s fair share of water from the Padma River and other rivers,” he said.
Criticising the former Awami League government, Tarique alleged that “autocratic” Sheikh Hasina had left the country’s healthcare system so weakened that citizens were forced to seek treatment abroad.
“The electoral system has been dismantled, the judiciary broken, the economy destroyed, and mega corruption carried out through so-called mega projects,” he claimed.
Calling for unity, Tarique told BNP leaders and activists, “We have many challenges ahead of us. To overcome these challenges, BNP leaders and activists must unite.”
