BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman has alleged that a particular political group is continuously spreading lies against the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) using authoritarian language. He said the group regularly brands BNP as a “champion of corruption,” despite the fact that two of its leaders were ministers during the BNP-led government. “If BNP was corrupt, why did those leaders not resign from the cabinet at that time?” Tarique Rahman questioned, adding that the group resorts to false propaganda because it has no real political support among the people.
He made these remarks on Tuesday (27 January) afternoon while addressing a BNP election rally as the chief guest at the Circuit House Ground in Mymensingh.
Tarique Rahman said that if BNP comes to power, it will create employment opportunities and solve the unemployment problem. He emphasized that he practices politics for the people and that only BNP has real experience in governing the country. To overcome the country’s ongoing crises, he said, there is no alternative to voting for the “Sheaf of Paddy,” the party’s electoral symbol.
The BNP chairperson further alleged that a certain group is speaking in the language of a fugitive autocrat and conducting smear campaigns over corruption. He noted that development is impossible if half of the population is left behind, which is why BNP has proposed the introduction of a “family card” initiative.
He also claimed that people’s voting rights were taken away through “dummy elections” and “midnight voting.”
Earlier, after 4:00 pm, Tarique Rahman took to the stage at the Mymensingh Circuit House Ground, where thousands of party leaders and activists gathered from different districts, arriving in buses, microbuses, and processions. Many said they had arrived early just to catch a glimpse of the BNP chairperson.
Earlier in the day, at 11:05 am, Tarique Rahman departed from his Gulshan residence for Mymensingh to attend the rally. The information was confirmed by BNP Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan.
On Monday afternoon, at a press conference held at the Mymensingh Press Club, BNP’s Divisional Organizing Secretary Shariful Alam said that Tarique Rahman last visited Mymensingh in 2004 to attend a union-level representatives’ meeting. After nearly 22 years, his return has generated great enthusiasm among local people.
During the rally, Tarique Rahman was scheduled to introduce BNP candidates from 24 parliamentary constituencies across the Mymensingh, Sherpur, Netrokona, and Jamalpur regions.
After completing his Mymensingh tour, Tarique Rahman is also scheduled to address two more rallies on his return to Dhaka—one at Rajbari Field in Gazipur at 6:00 pm and another at Azampur Eidgah Ground in Uttara at 7:00 pm.