BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman today said no one can turn Bangladesh into a subservient state if the rights of the people are established.

“Not the interests of foreigners, but the interests of the countrymen must be ensured. Not Myanmar, India or any other country, Bangladesh is the first and foremost, this must be our only goal,” he said while virtually addressing a rally.

Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal organized the rally in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on the occasion of the great May Day with its President Anwar Hossain in the chair. Sramik Dal Chief Coordinator Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas read out a statement on the occasion.  

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Nazrul Islam Khan, Publicity Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Dhaka Metropolitan South BNP convener Rafiqul Alam Majnu, Krishak Dal president Hasan Zafir Tuhin, Mohila Dal president Afroza Abbas, Swechchhasebak Dal president SM Jilani, Jubo Dal general secretary Nurul Islam Nayan, spoke at the rally, among others.

Tarique Rahman underlined the need for building a safe, democratic and discrimination-free Bangladesh to meet people’s aspirations.

For the past one and a half decades, the Awami League government had kept the nation “captive in the shackles of subjugation,” he said.

“Even though that fascism has fallen, the political democratic rights of the people have not been fully established. For this reason, people are unable to convey their demands to the government through elected representatives,” said the BNP acting chief.

Tarique Rahman said in order to establish a democratic government following the fall of Awami regime, democratic political parties, including BNP, have continued to provide unconditional support to the interim government.

He stressed on establishing a government that will be accountable to the people so that the “fugitive dictator” cannot get a chance to rise again.

BNP believes that both reforms and elections are necessary, he said and appealed to the interim government to be careful as “a section of the government wants to create a well-planned conflict among the anti-fascist political parties by pitting reforms and elections against each other”.

“We appeal to them to formulate short-term and long-term reform proposals. No political party has any objection” he said.

Tarique Rahman urged the Yunus government to complete the necessary reforms, prepare the law enforcement agencies, judiciary and election commission and announce the outline of the next national election specifically.

If the roadmap in the government’s action plan is made clear to the democracy-loving people, doubts will be removed from the minds of the people, he added.

Referring to BNP’s politics as a means of establishing people’s rights and keeping everyone well, Tarique Rahman said, whenever BNP was in power, it always worked for people’s rights that is why BNP leaders and activists did not have to flee the country.

A massive number of leaders and workers joined the rally that began at 2pm as pro-BNP cultural wing JASAS performed music before the rally.

The road in front of the BNP central office, from Fakirapool to Kakrail intersection, turned into a human sea with the presence of massive crowds.

 BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, today demanded quick reforms for holding the next general elections to help form a “people's government”.

“We are going through an unusual time politically. Fascism has fallen but democracy has not emerged. The people's aspirations and the formation of a people's government have not yet been established,” he said.

Mirza Fakhrul called on Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to complete the necessary reforms to hold the next general elections soon.

He said BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was the first to realize the importance of workers’ rights. That is why he created new opportunities by opening garment factories and made arrangement for exporting manpower, he added.

“Whatever good work has been done for the workers has been done whenever BNP was in power,” he said.

The BNP secretary general said the workers keep the entire civilization alive but do not get fair wages.

“Children have to beat the hammer for a living. Where he is supposed to study and play, he has to take care of the family,” he said.

Fakhrul said though the era has changed as all modern machines have been invented as well as the production process has changed but the fate of working class has not changed at all.