DHAKA, Aug 20, 2024 (BSS) - Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman today underscored the need for ensuring the people's political and economic empowerment along with exposing the fallen anti-people forces to justice for upholding the spirit and goals of the mass-upsurge.
 
"Ensuring every citizen's right to vote is the main tool of the people's political empowerment," he said in a video message from London.
 
Tarique Rahman said with the fleeing by mass-killer Hasina, the path of eliminating fascist rule of 15 years has opened.
 
So it is the time to establish accountability-based democracy in the country, he said, adding that the oppressed, exploited and people having no rights are looking forward to a free, safe and dignified life.
 
He said it is high time to build a safe and humane Bangladesh to meet people's expectations.
 
Tarique Rahman said in the past 15 years, the democracy-loving people continued their movement and struggle for establishing democracy, human rights and voting rights in the country by ending the fascist regime.
 
Many people were forcefully disappeared, killed and kidnapped and many others became crippled forever, he said, adding that finally the mass-killer Hasina fled the country in the historic mass-upsurge of the student-people as part of continuation of the movement and struggle.
 
The BNP's acting chairman said well-planned conspiracy is being hatched to foil the success and goals of the historic mass-upsurge.
 
As part of the conspiracy, evil efforts were carried out to create unrest in the country through making a design of planned attack on a religious community, he said.

But the deposed evil force failed to make the situation deteriorated because of timely steps of the ally force of the movement to oust Hasina and the interim government, he added.

Noting that the defeated evil force doesn't stop hatching conspiracy, he said under the circumstance, now the key priority is to uphold the sprit and goals of the historic mass-upsurge of the student-people.

Tarique Rahman said changeover of power doesn't mean only the handover of state power rather it means the qualitative change of state and politics.

It is not possible to make the desired qualitative change to the state and politics unless the people's political and economic empowerment is ensured, he said.

He said a government accountable to the people must be established by the people's vote to ensure the participation of the people in the desired state reform and to make the democratic rules and regulation sustainable.

 He called upon the pro-Bangladesh and pro-demo cratic forces that they should not fall into the trap of defeated evil forces.
 
"Don't fall into the trap of defeated evil forces. If you want to take the mass-upsurge of the student-people, none should get engage into grabbing and none should support any grabbing. Don't attack the weak. Don't take law into your own hands. Let us play our responsible role from our respective positions to ensure effective state reforms and establish the discrimination free democratic state desired by the youth shunning the path of revenge and vengeance," said the BNP acting chairman.

He said thousands of people from different classes and professions embraced martyrdom in the mass-upsurge of the student-people like university student martyrs Abu Sayeed and Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, college student Wasim Akram, madrasah student Abdullah Al Mamun, school student Rifat Hossain, a 60-year old mother Maya Islam, 6-year old child Ria Gope, juvenile student Naima Sultana, Cumilla's lawyer Abul Kalam, Chuadanga's mason Ujjal Hossain, Noakhali's shop employee Asif and Barguna's pharmaceutical company salesman Al Amin.  
 
Numerous people are undergoing treatment at different hospitals in the country, he said, adding many people like Pabna's driver Arafat Hossain, 22-year old Mustakim who received bullet-injury in Mirpur, shop employee Atikul, Class VIII student Tamim lost their hands or legs while hundreds of people lost their eyes and became crippled forever.
 
He said though the democracy-loving people once again got the taste of freedom on August 5 which was achieved in exchange of numerous lives, the touch of independence didn't reach the doors of the valiant people whose families lost their offspring, relatives or those who suffered untold miseries for ensuring treatment of the injured in the movement to oust Hasina.

Tarique Rahman said the interim government has already taken various initiatives to prepare the list of those who were killed and injured in the mass-upsurge for extending necessary support.
 
Definitely it is a positive step, he said adding that however, if the family members of those who were killed and injured in the mass-upsurge are given a reception under state arrangement to give them state honor, the families of the victims may get a little mental consolation for a while.
 
"I do believe that such initiative will further sharpen the spirit of the mass-upsurge," he said.
 
The BNP acting chairman stressed on considering the matter of observing August 5 as a special day in national life every year under the state initiative in a befitting manner.
 
Noting the quota reform movement was also waged across the country in 2018, he said at that time, the protestors became victims of state fraudulence as mass-killer Hasina heavily suppressed the agitators.
 
Even tyrant Hasina did not give scopes to the injured to receive treatment, he said.
 
"Despite being late, I think it should be considered that how the state can now extend cooperation to the victims of the quota reform movement in 2018," said Tarique Rahman.
 
"I do believe that a state or government cannot reach its desired goal defying the strength and aspirations of youth," he said.
Drawing the attention of the people concerned with the country's print and electronic media, BNP acting chairman said mass-killer Hasina grasped the freedom of press.
 
Hasina, who grasped the freedom of press, has fled, he added.
 
"It is the people's expectation that you in your respective newspaper write a word fearlessly that 'Hasina fled'. If any media adopt any evil strategy to use different words instead of 'Hasina fled', it will make your freedom of conscience questionable to the people," he said.
 
The BNP acting chairman urged the media to broadcast special programme on miseries and suffering of those and their families, who became victims of disappearance, murder and abduction in the last 15 years, those thousands of people who embraced martyrdom and received injuries in the revolution of the student-people.
 

"Raise question why the investigation into the case of Sagar-Runi murders has not been completed even in one era. People want investigative reports from you on 'Aynaghar'. The people want to see the pictures of corruptions in newspaper every day how Hasina turned the country into a looting state," he said.

Tarique Rahman also urged the media to broadcast special programme every day portraying the picture of how mass-killer Hasina robbed people's votes on every occasion.
 
If the wrongdoings of Hasina are kept in the frame of media, none will dare to loot votes, launch genocide like Hasina in future and it will strengthen the base of democracy and force the rulers to refrain from making autocratic behavior, he added.

Urging BNP leaders and workers, supporters and well-wishers of the party and its associate and front organizations at all levels to remain united, the BNP acting chairman said the interim government will announce the date of national election in due time on the path of state reform.
 
"Win people's heart to get the verdict of the people in that election. Achieve people's trust and love. Stay with people at their weal and woe. Keep people with you. As a worker and supporter of the responsible and popular party BNP, you have to ensure that none can feel unsafe due to their religious and caste identities," he said.

Mentioning the role of expatriates in the Hasina ousting movement, Tarique Rahman said side by side with the student-people in the country, expatriate Bangladeshis also made special contributions to the movement to topple mass-killer Hasina.

When the freedom of expression was suppressed in the country, a group of courageous faces among the expatriates presented the details of Hasina's misrule before the people staying abroad and thus they joined the mass-movement, he said.
 
Some expatriate Bangladeshis had to and still have to face imprisonment and repression in overseas for expressing solidarity with the movement to oust Hasina, he said.
 
He urged the expatriate Bangladeshis to continue their role in future too from their respective positions as per the capacity following the law of the countries concerned likewise they did in the past in building a discrimination free democratic Bangladesh as desired by the student-people.