News Flash
DHAKA, Dec 10, 2025 (BSS) - BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman today said there is no alternative but to ensure the victory of the ‘Dhaner Shis’ (Sheaf of Paddy) symbol to save the country.
"To save the country, the Sheaf of Paddy must win, there is no alternative to it. No political party has presented a plan for how Bangladesh will be run in future, only the BNP has done this. We want to implement our plan,” he said.
Tarique Rahman made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of the fourth day event of the BNP's 7-day programme titled 'Plan for Nation Building' at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) Convention Hall in the city.
The BNP Acting Chairman said that today is International Human Rights Day, and human rights mean the rights of people, which transcend any political ideology. “In the past 15-16 years, during anti-autocracy movements, students, the general people, political activists, journalists, doctors, businessmen, and people from various professions have been victims of human rights violations," he said.
Mentioning the tortures carried out by fascist Awami League to the BNP activists, he said, “BNP is a political party whose hundreds of activists have been victims of enforced disappearances, thousands of activists have been killed, and millions have been tortured. Many activists who were picked up in white microbuses in the dead of night were never found again. And those who were found were subjected to unspeakable physical torture.”
Tarique Rahman said BNP believes every citizen has the right to express their political opinion. He reminded that BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman restored multi-party democracy after leading the country out of the one-party BAKSAL rule. “We want people with differing views to be able to express their opinions safely,” he added.
“We will express our views, others will express theirs, and the people of Bangladesh will make the decision,” he said.
The BNP Acting Chairman expressed his desire that no other citizen of the country should have to suffer the kind of torture and human rights violations in the future that BNP activists have endured.
“We want no more incidents of human rights violations against people with different opinions in the country,” he said.
He also mentioned that BNP has played a role in the development of the country's economy, education, employment, healthcare, law and order, and corruption control in the past.
Subsequently, he spoke about the 'Family Card' initiative. Citing that the women make up half of the country's population, he stated that the nation's development plans will never succeed without empowering women. He announced plans to gradually empower the female community across the country through the ‘Family Card’.
"When one family becomes self-reliant, gradually a village, an upazila, a district—and eventually all families in the country will become self-reliant, which will strengthen the economic foundation of the nation," he said.
Highlighting the importance of female education, he recalled the initiative for free education for girls during the tenures of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia. He said that a self-reliant Bangladesh can be built by fostering both educated mothers and economically self-reliant mothers.
Tarique Rahman then detailed the 'Krishak Card' presented by the Krishak Dal. He stated that this plan is aimed at strengthening the agriculture sector, which is the backbone of Bangladesh's economy. When the farmers’ backbone is strengthened, production will increase, fair-priced food supply will be ensured, and agricultural exports can be gradually increased, he said.
He noted that during Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman’s tenure, food production increased, the practice of three-crop farming expanded, and food products were exported.
Regarding the education plan, he said that in the future, a second and third language (such as Japanese, Mandarin, etc., alongside English) will be introduced in the education system. Children and adolescents will be developed with vocational training, sports, art-culture, and technical skills, he said.
“If a child grows up proficient in two foreign languages, good at a sport, skilled in art and culture, and has a vocational skill, they will not be stuck anywhere, either at home or abroad," he said.
Giving an example of overseas employment, he said that while there is demand for underwater welders in countries like South Korea, Bangladesh could not provide a single one, despite the salary being US$3,000 per person. He noted that there is also huge demand for workers in agriculture, healthcare, and various sectors in Japan, China, and Italy. It is possible to send Bangladeshi youths to these markets through language proficiency and skills, he said.
Tarique Rahman said, "The BNP has started working on these plans and will implement them if the party is voted to power by the people. The responsibility for taking these plans to every village, upazila, and district of the country rests with the BNP activists."
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi presided over the event.
Earlier, BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas inaugurated the event this morning.
BNP joint secretary general Habib-un -Nabi Khan Sohel moderated the event while BNP Acting Chairman’s Adviser Mahdi Amin, among others BNP senior leaders, spoke in the event.
Various unit of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal and Krishak Dal from the city participated in the event.
