BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, Feb 17, 2025 (BSS) - BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman today underscored the need for ensuring people's political and voting rights to build a country free from discrimination.

"People's political empowerment is required to make murderous-dictatorial political evil forces irrelevant," he told a views-exchange meeting with July uprising injured photo journalists and their family members on virtual platform.

Amra BNP Paribar organized the meeting at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh in the capital with its convener Atiqur Rahman Rumon in the chair.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and BNP Joint Secretary General Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie also spoke in the event.

Tarique Rahman said BNP's goal and objective is only one, that is, to build a democratic state where the common people will live with fundamental rights.

Noting that during any dictatorial regime, people's political rights are curtailed, he said they have seen the real example of this for the past 15 years. 

"During this time, dictator Hasina had forcibly amassed power. She worked to secure the interests of citizens of other countries without establishing the rights of the people of Bangladesh," he said.

Highlighting the 31-point outline for reforming the state structure, the BNP acting chairman said, "We, along with other political parties of the country, presented 31-point proposals to the people of the country about two and a half years ago. These 31 points are a clear plan on how we will take the country forward again."

Noting that BNP believes that the reform process is an ongoing process, Tarique underlined the need for developing democratic political culture in the country. 

"If we want to make the reform process effective, we need to first make arrangements to alleviate the daily misery of the people. Otherwise, the desired benefits of the reform process will not be achieved," he said.

Tarique Rahman reiterated his call for holding quick national elections giving the responsibility of running the country to politicians. 

The acting chairman of BNP said election is definitely a key issue for establishing people's rights in democratic political practice. 

"Therefore, if people get the opportunity to exercise their right to vote, they will be able to use their political power to expel the fugitive dictator and his accomplices from the political arena," he said.

For these reasons, BNP believes that it is necessary to hold free, fair and impartial elections within a reasonable time, along with reform activities, he said. 

Tarique Rahman urged the government to expedite its monitoring on medical system to ensure quality health services to people.

He mentioned the role of photojournalists in the democratic movement against the Awami League government in the past 15 years saying they presented the sufferings and miseries of the people through photos. 

But at various times in the past 15 years, even if they wanted to, they were not allowed to publish many news stories, he added.