“We want the election to take place within December. The people of the country want elections… for which we have been protesting and struggling for the last 15 years,” he said while addressing the award ceremony of the Arafat Rahman Coco Memorial Cricket Tournament in London on Sunday (18 May) night local time
File photo of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. Photo: Collected
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File photo of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. Photo: Collected
The BNP wants the next general election to be held within December of this year, the party’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said.
“We want the election to take place within December. The people of the country want elections… for which we have been protesting and struggling for the last 15 years… for which we, the BNP, have lost many of our leaders, activists and colleagues,” he said while addressing the award ceremony of the Arafat Rahman Coco Memorial Cricket Tournament in London on Sunday (18 May) night local time.
“We have been victims of enforced disappearances and murders,” he also said
He went on, “But why are there these enforced disappearances, murders and killings? Thousands of people have been forcibly disappeared and killed. It happened to the BNP, other political parties outside the BNP, ordinary people, and journalists. Why did it happen? One reason is political rights – to establish the political rights of the people.”
“By establishing the political rights of the people, we want to establish a government that will work for the welfare of the people,” he added
Speaking at the event, the BNP leader also said his party plans to develop ward-wise playgrounds for all in the capital city of Dhaka if the party comes to power through people’s mandate in the next general election.
“The playground will be developed on three to four bighas of land at least between two wards where children play, elderly people walk, and people inhale, we have such a thought,” he said.
Recalling Koko’s memories, Tarique said his younger brother had tried his best to contribute to the country’s sports arena.
He said the four divisional BKSP offices will be made fully operational to identify and nurture young sporting talents from different parts of the country.
Highlighting the importance of sports in life, he said his party would prioritise sports along education in the primary and secondary levels of the country.
Lamenting the lack of playgrounds in Dhaka, he said there is no alternative to the sports for excellence in education.