Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday appealed to the citizens of Bangladesh to maintain their confidence in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) administration and its development agenda, reiterating that his government remains fully committed to serving public and national interests.

Speaking to a massive gathering at Pakundia after releasing fish fry into the Brahmaputra River at Mirzapur Chairman Bari Ghat, the Prime Minister was welcomed onto the stage with enthusiastic applause from thousands of BNP leaders and activists.

“Keep your faith in us. BNP was with you, BNP is with the people of Bangladesh and BNP will remain with the people of Bangladesh,” he told the crowd.

Recalling the mandate of the February 12 national election, he stated, “You supported us in the February 12 election and placed your trust in BNP. I clearly want to say keep that trust.”

He further assured the public that the government was formed through popular support and would never act contrary to national well-being, adding, “As long as BNP remains, Inshallah, it will not do anything against the interests of the country and its people.”

Outlining his vision for national transformation, PM Tarique Rahman emphasized his administration's goal of turning Bangladesh into a welfare state through public-centric initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods, particularly across rural areas.

“Our goal is to establish a welfare state, and that is why we have taken various measures. We have already started programmes, including the Family Card, which I have outlined before you,” he explained.

He noted that the Family Card program, fulfilling a key electoral promise to support female heads of households, will gradually expand to cover every home in the country over the next five years.

Additionally, the government is rolling out Farmers’ Cards to provide financial aid alongside a phased supply of fertilizers, seeds, and pesticides.

To empower women, higher education will be made tuition-free up to the honors level, with all related costs borne by the state, while high-achieving female students will receive specialized government support.

Highlighting the logic behind this initiative, he noted, “Women constitute half of the country’s population. If we leave women behind, we cannot take the country forward.”

The Prime Minister announced that underprivileged schoolchildren will receive new uniforms and backpacks alongside their annual free textbook allocations.

“We want to provide new school bags and school uniforms to children along with the new books distributed every year,” he declared.

His administration is also launching schemes to foster self-reliance among imams, muezzins, and other religious figures, alongside new sports and cultural initiatives designed to nurture future athletes and artists.

Regarding infrastructure, he mentioned that canal excavation efforts will benefit surrounding communities, but noted, “Canal excavation alone is not enough. We have to ensure the water obtained through excavation is put to proper use.”

Asserting that the public owns the nation and must actively participate in its progress, the PM stated that now is the time to work collaboratively to reconstruct the state.

He observed that his administration inherited a severely compromised situation across the economy, foreign policy, healthcare, and education sectors due to the previous authoritarian regime.

“We cannot solve all the problems in a single day. We have to rebuild the country from the ruins,” he noted.

Condemning the previous regime's short-sighted power and energy management for the ongoing utility shortages, he revealed that the government will unveil a long-term solution during the upcoming parliamentary session set for August 27.

“We will present before the people in Parliament how we will solve the electricity problem over the next 10 years,” he promised.

Warning against attempts to instigate street-level chaos, the Prime Minister cautioned that civil unrest disproportionately harms day-to-day life.

“If disorder is created on the streets, ordinary people suffer the most. Their businesses are affected, their jobs are affected and their livelihoods are affected. But those who create disorder benefit,” he cautioned.

He urged citizens to make a collective pledge to resist any forces obstructing public welfare or national progress, emphasizing that the populace now demands peace, the rule of law, employment, quality education for youth, and reliable family healthcare.

Local Lawmaker Fazlur Rahman alongside senior district BNP leaders attended the event.

Following his engagement in Pakundia, the Prime Minister's itinerary includes visiting the Kotiadi Carp Hatchery Complex, inaugurating 'National Fisheries Week 2026' and distributing the National Fisheries Awards at the Achimita George Institution field, participating in a tree plantation drive at Sholakia field, and distributing Family Cards at Kishoreganj Stadium.

With Inputs from UNB