Tarique urges people to help restart democracy, elected reps solve problems

BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, waving at the audience at the Bhasantek Rehabilitation Project on Friday evening.

 BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Friday urged the prople to help restart the democratic process for their elected representatives to resolve country's problems.

He sought vote for BNP's symbol sheaf of paddy saying the people of Bangladesh experienced development whenever BNP was elected to power in the past.

The BNP chief was addresssing an election campaign meeting at the Bhasantek Rehabilitation Project (BRP) ground, his third appearance before mass gatherings in his Dhaka-17 Constituency.

Tarique Rahman created another stir by inviting four non-partisan women and men to the dais and asking them to tell of problems faced by them in the area.

They hailed from marginal families and demanded rehabilitation, and spoke of family cards that BNP leaders were professing. They said many young educated members of their families remained unemployed, and demanded that the Bhasantek area is developed as a neat and clean part of the capital.

Tarique Rahman said he like others grew up in the area and was one of them. I am a candidate for election from this area. If elected, we will solve the problem of rehabilitation of people. 

He said the people of Bangladesh want change, security of life, jobs for the unemployed youths. We have taken up a plan to give skills training to youths so that they can engage in income generating activities at home or abroad. Skilled people will be able to increase production also in agriculture. We want to reorganise sports so that youths can become sportsmen like Aminul Huq, BNP's Dhaka North convener and a candidate for Dhaka 16 seat. 

The BNP chief said autocrats in 15 years destroyed the country which we have to rebuild. We have to restart democratic journey to resolve problems faced by the people. I want people's representatives all over Bangladesh should talk to people know their problems and help resolve those. The country should be governed by people's representatives. The people in the past saw development of the country whenever BNP came to power. 

Tarique urged the people of Bhasantek to tell their friends and relatives across Bangladesh to vote for sheaf of paddy and make BNP victorious in the Feb 12 election.

The programme originally scheduled at 2 pm was deferred by 4 hours as the first mass-contact tour of Tarique Rahman from Sylhet to Narayanganj on Thursday ran beyond plan up to Friday morning.

Local BNP leader Quader Mahmud, presided over the meeting which was addressed by Standing Committee member and chief of BNP's central election organising committee, Nazrul Islam Khan, valiant freedom fighter Abdus Salam, Coordinator, Dr. Farhad Halim Donar, joint Coordinator of the Dhaka-17 Constituency election organising committee, Aminul Huq, Nazimuddin Alam, Adviser to BNP chairman, Lutfur Rahman, president, JAGPA among others.

Nazrul Islam Khan said the people of the area have got an opportunity to vote for a man who is eager to work for the people and is expected to become the next Prime.Minister.

He said Tarique Rahman organised the democratic movement although he was compelled to live in exile. There is no other family in country, which fought for independence, sovereingty and also worked prosperity of Bangladesh. 

BNP won all Dhaka seats in 1991, a record that remains unbroken. Khan said in an oblique referemce to Jamaat chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman, one person claims they will have victory in all Dhaka seats this time. He or his party never won a seat in the capital in the past. Allah dislikes people who talk of self-proclaimed victory, he said. 

He said the people of the area could not cast vote for a long time. This time they will vote for Tarique, son of Ziaur Rahman who made the brilliant stride for development in a devastated country. We cannot chose an inexperienced man or party to run the country, a party that doesn't have the track record. Zia rebuilt the country, but he was killed. Ershad took over the and made Bangladesh 100pc dependent on foreign help. The responsibility then fell on Khaleda to reorganise the economy. Today the economy again stands devastated. Tarique Rahman is the most competent person to take the responsibility to rebuild it, he added.