Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday urged people to maintain peace as he presented a vision of an inclusive society, saying the country belongs to people of all faiths, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians.
Rahman’s remarks in his first address to party supporters after arriving in Dhaka for the first time in 17 years came as minorities, especially Hindus, have been affected by a series of incidents against them in Bangladesh since the interim government assumed power in August last year.
“The time has come for all of us to build the country together. This country belongs to people of the hills and the plains, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. We want to build a safe Bangladesh, where every woman, man, and child can leave home and return safely,” he told thousands of supporters gathered at the July 36 Expressway in the capital, where he went straight after arriving at the airport.
The Hindu population in Bangladesh has been affected by a series of incidents against minority communities in the country after the ouster of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year. Recently, a 25-year-old Hindu worker was lynched by a mob in Mymensingh city.
India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.
On Monday, minority groups in Bangladesh held a protest in Dhaka over the interim government’s failure to prevent the persecution of minorities.
Rahman’s call for unity came as the hardline Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, the BNP’s coalition partner during its 2001-2006 tenure in power, has emerged as its main rival in the upcoming polls after the interim government banned the Awami League.
“Whatever political party we belong to, whatever religion we believe in, whether we are non-partisan individuals — all must join hands to maintain law and order,” said Rahman, the 60-year-old son of ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who has emerged as a leading contender for prime ministership in the polls.
A fresh wave of unrest and political instability has gripped Bangladesh following the killing of radical youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent face in last year’s mass protests that forced the collapse of the Hasina government.
Referring to a popular quote from US civil rights activist Martin Luther King, “I Have a Dream”, Rahman said, “I have a plan for the people of my country and for my country,” state-owned Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported.
“This plan is for the interest of the people, for the development of the country, for changing the lot of the country. To implement the plan, I need the support of all the people of the country. If you stand beside us, God willing, we will be able to implement my plan,” Rahman added.
Referring to the 1971 liberation war, Rahman said, “Our loving motherland was achieved through the blood of lakhs of martyrs in the 1971 Liberation War,” he said.
He also recalled the Sepoy-People’s Revolution of November 7, 1975, the 1990 anti-autocracy movement, and the uprising of August 5, 2024, as struggles to protect the country’s freedom and sovereignty.
“In 2024, the students and masses from all walks of life protected the independence and sovereignty of this country on that day,” he said.
He said the people of Bangladesh now want to regain their democratic rights and right to speak.
Rahman also urged people to pray for her ailing mother Zia, whom he met at the Evercare hospital in Dhaka after his address.
Zia, a three-time prime minister, has been undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital.
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