BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has stated that elections and reforms are ongoing processes. Reforms will continue, but elections must be held on time.
He made these remarks while virtually addressing a discussion meeting titled "31-Point State Structure Repair Framework and Civic Thoughts" on Sunday (April 13) night.
Tarique Rahman said, "Reform is not a matter confined to brackets, that it will be done if this much is done. Reform is an ongoing process. Because we believe, we say that election and reform are ongoing processes. Reforms will continue. But elections must be held on time."
Addressing the public, he said, "I want to ask everyone a question: what are we seeing in the case of those who say reform before elections? They say elections later, but they are going around announcing their candidates in various places. BNP is not doing that."
He further said, "We see many people saying reform before elections. But in reality, they are doing the opposite, which BNP never says. BNP does not do that. BNP does what it says, what it does."
The acting chairman of the party said, "BNP gave reform proposals when BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and thousands of leaders and activists, including the party's secretary-general, were in jail. When millions of BNP leaders and activists were homeless, burdened with ghost cases, then BNP gave reform proposals. Today we hear about reforms from many people. How many of them dared to speak about reforms, ignoring the bloodshot eyes of the autocrat Sheikh Hasina? How many cases have they faced like BNP activists? How long have they been tortured? How many of their houses have been broken? How many have had to roam around the court premises five days a week?"
He further said, "Why is BNP talking about reforms? Because BNP has experience, whether BNP is in government or in opposition. BNP can relate to the people at all times. We have various limitations. But we always try to be with the people, to keep the people with us. That is why we have talked about reforms during times of suffering and oppression. We have felt that reforms are necessary to change the fate of the people of this country. Reforms are needed in various ways in different fields. And those who do politics only for their own interests, whether for party interests or personal interests, they say one thing in words and do another in reality."
Tarique Rahman said, "From Khaleda Zia to the last worker in my village, they are being tortured. While being tortured, they are talking about reforms. And today, those who are talking about reforms are sitting in big places, inside air-conditioned rooms, in big expensive offices. Those who are talking about reforms today are enjoying privileges, i.e., the government is giving them cars, they are getting salaries, bonuses, and allowances. Then they are sitting and talking about reforms. BNP did not talk about reforms from within these privileges. When BNP was talking about reforms, BNP was fighting against autocracy on the streets. On one hand, it was agitating. On the other hand, BNP was thinking about building the country."
He further said, "We have discussed family cards, farmers' cards. We have discussed what we can do, what we will do regarding primary education. We have a plan regarding our environment. Our plan is how much, that will be determined by time, situation, and context. One of the other issues about the environment of Bangladesh is tree plantation. We have a plan to plant 500 million trees in five years. We are working on that."
