BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Monday called for a shift in Bangladesh’s political culture, saying politics must move beyond decades of blame and confrontation and focus instead on improving the lives of ordinary people.
“Those of us in politics—who do we serve? We serve the people of this country. Standing beside them in times of need is the highest form of politics,” he said while virtually addressing a program in Jessore. The event saw BNP provide financial assistance to three-year-old Afia, a child born with albinism, a genetic condition.
Tarique said true politics is about easing people’s suffering, not merely criticizing rivals from public platforms. “If politics is only about blaming one another, it does not fill people’s stomachs. Politics must be about what helps people live better lives,” he added.
Referring to decades of confrontational politics, he said: “We have followed a certain style of politics for many years. Now we need to change it. We want to take politics closer to people’s welfare.”
The BNP chairman highlighted that political work should include support during natural disasters, personal crises, and social hardships. Afia and her mother, he noted, have faced severe difficulties after her father rejected the child and accused her mother of infidelity.
“No child should face discrimination or suffering because of a genetic condition. There are many Afias in Bangladesh and many helpless mothers like her. They are also children of this country, and we must think about them,” Tarique said.
He said BNP aims to support vulnerable people as part of its commitment to people-centered politics. “As we stand beside Afia today, we want to stand beside every helpless person in the country.”
Tarique also outlined several BNP initiatives should the party come to power through the next election. These include:
- Family Card program: Support for poor families, with cards issued in the name of women as heads of households.
- Farmers’ Card: Assistance for farmers to boost production and ensure fair prices for agricultural products.
- Large-scale canal excavation: Revival of previous initiatives to address irrigation problems, water shortages, floods, and waterlogging.
- Healthcare expansion: Recruitment and training of 100,000 health workers to provide basic medical services in rural areas.
- Women’s economic empowerment: Building on free education for girls, with plans to create employment opportunities for women.
- State-supported allowance for religious leaders: Financial support and recognition for imams, khatibs, muezzins, and others to live with dignity and honor.
“Insha’Allah, when BNP forms government in the coming days, just as Begum Khaleda Zia always stood beside you, so too will her party, BNP, stand firmly beside you,” he said.
Tarique concluded: “If we truly want to build the Bangladesh we aspire to, we must move forward with this oath and the slogan: ‘We will work and build the country, Bangladesh first.”