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Published : 09 Feb 2026, 02:18 PM
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman has called on voters to deliver a “people’s verdict” to rebuild the country and change the lives of its citizens.
Speaking at a street rally in Dhaka’s Banani on Monday, the final full day of campaigning ahead of Thursday’s 13th parliamentary election, he said the vote had come at a high cost, highlighting the lives lost over the past 16 years in pursuit of a proper election.
“In two days’ time, that long-awaited election will take place,” he said, referring to the violence during past protests, including the July 2024 mass uprising that toppled the Awami League regime.
He urged voters to back the BNP, saying it is the only party with a clear programme to rebuild the country and move it forward.
“If you give us the opportunity, the BNP will work with the people to rebuild the state,” he said, adding that his party’s main goal was what he described as the reconstruction of Bangladesh.
Tarique also appealed to voters in his own constituency, Dhaka-17, asking them to vote for the BNP’s election symbol, the "sheaf of paddy".
He said he had deep personal ties to the area, noting that he had grown up there after Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 and that his family had long-standing connections with the neighbourhood.
Tarique outlined the challenges he said a future BNP government would face, including unemployment among young people, weaknesses in the education system, traffic congestion, and poor road conditions.
He criticised the “mega projects” carried out over the past 15 years, accusing the previous government of large-scale corruption.
“We have removed authoritarian rule. Now the task is to rebuild the country,” he said.
After the Banani rally, the BNP chairperson’s motorcade set off towards Dhanmondi.
He began campaigning in the capital on Sunday after concluding election events in more than 20 locations outside Dhaka.
