Tarique hopes to reunite with party activists soon

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Wednesday expressed his hope that he would meet the party’s leaders and activists on the soil of Bangladesh soon.

He made the remarks while addressing the conference of the Patuakhali district unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party virtually as the chief guest.

His remarks have further fuelled the speculation about his potential return to the country after 17 years in exile.

The conference, attended by thousands of BNP leaders and activists, was held at a time when 1,511 elected councillors were preparing to vote on the district leadership that will steer the party over the next two years. 

Tarique underlined the importance of this process, saying that the BNP’s organisational strength depended on internal democracy and transparent leadership selection.

He emphasised that the people remained the true source of BNP’s power, and urged the party representatives to connect directly with the country’s 12 crore voters.

He said that the BNP’s future success would depend on how closely it would align itself with public sentiment and the aspirations of ordinary citizens.

Tarique said that if the BNP was given the responsibility to govern the country, it would focus on restoring democratic values and meeting the expectations of the people, which the previous government had failed to do.

He said that the Awami League’s decline was due to its inability to deliver on people’s hopes.

The BNP must not repeat those mistakes, he warned.

In a candid reflection on the responsibilities that come with being the country’s largest political party, Tarique acknowledged, ‘greater political size brings greater challenges, greater responsibilities, and greater sacrifices.’

He reminded the supporters that whenever democracy had been under threat, it was the BNP that had taken to the streets to defend it.

He said that if the foundations of democracy were to be strengthened, the BNP must once again take the lead.

Tarique also stressed the need for exercising tolerance among the leaders and activists even in the face of differences.

He said that differing opinions must be respected and heard, and that solutions should come through dialogue, not division.

He highlighted the BNP’s role in initiating reform proposals and its willingness to make compromises during the interim government’s consensus commission talks in the interest of national unity and electoral progress.

He cautioned that even if full agreement could not be reached on all matters, democracy required compromise and the BNP had shown that it was willing to make sacrifices for the greater interest of the electoral process.

Tarique instructed the party leaders to stay close to the people and behave in ways that reflected public expectations.

He warned that the misconduct of even a single party member could damage BNP’s image nationally.

He urged everyone to refrain from activities that might frustrate the public or tarnish the party’s reputation.

Tarique called for discipline, accountability, and a commitment to party values.

Turning to the political transition, he called on BNP supporters to cooperate with the interim administration and not take the law into their own hands.

He said that BNP believed in democratic governance, and that the party’s goal was to ensure all 12 crore voters had the chance to elect their representatives through a free and fair election.

He ended his speech with a warning that the right to vote must be protected at all costs.

He urged the party activists to remain alert against any conspiracy aimed at undermining democratic rights, saying that no force should be allowed to interfere with the people’s mandate.

‘Insha’Allah, I will meet you soon in our homeland,’ Tarique ended.

Tarique has been staying in London since 2008.