Some quarters trying to render Bangladesh ‘friendless’, says Tarique

"We must resist their conspiracy, we must respond, just as we responded to the dictatorship for 17 years," said the BNP chairman.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman says that some quarters are trying to turn Bangladesh into a “friendless” country.

According to him, these quarters do not like the return of democracy to the country and want a negative image of Bangladesh to be created in the international arena.

The BNP chairman was speaking at a rally of BNP's labour affiliate Jatiotabadi Sramik Dal in Dhaka's Naya Paltan on Friday afternoon to mark May Day.

Despite raising claims of a conspiracy against the nation, he did not name any particular groups.

Tarique said that whenever Bangladesh starts its journey on the path of democracy, some quarters do not like it.

"Those quarters, who do not want the people of Bangladesh to start working hard to change their destiny, who do not want Bangladesh to move forward with the world, those quarters start conspiring, as they have in the past."

Commenting that there were conspiracies even before the 13th Parliament existed, the BNP chairman said: “But their conspiracy did not succeed before the 12th (of February). When they saw that Bangladesh had once again started to follow the people’s verdict on Feb 12, they gradually started various conspiracies again.

“They are now trying to take Bangladesh to a controversial position on the world stage and are trying to turn the country into a ‘friendless state’. But the world is watching; the current government of Bangladesh is a government formed by the people. That is why the world is not paying attention to their words. Rather, the world is talking to the elected representatives of the people, the elected government of the people, about how they will invest in this country, how they will help change the fate of the workers of this country, how they will help change the fate of the people of this country.”

Urging everyone to keep their eyes and ears open, the BNP chief said: “If there are any people who want to draw controversy to the country, who want to create unrest, then I will appeal to every person in the country, including the workers - you have to be vigilant, you have to be careful, you have to wake up, you have to resist their conspiracies, you have to respond, just as we responded to the dictatorship for 17 years.”

Tarique also highlighted the 31-point promises made by the BNP before the vote to repair the state.

He said, “If the workers thrive, the people of the country will fare better; if the farmers thrive, the people of the country will be better. That is why we have outlined in 31 points the full details of what this government wants to do for everyone, including the farmers, the workers, the students and the public.”

Before the 13th parliamentary elections, paddy sheaf candidate Tarique promised Family Cards. After winning the election and forming the government, the distribution of those cards has begun.

Referring to the Family Card at the rally, he said: "The wives of my worker brothers will get the Family Card; the wives of my farmer brothers will get it. The wives of primary teachers will get it. This means it will gradually reach all families.

"Just as our worker brothers will work hard and help strengthen the country's economy, in the same way the state will stand by their families so that they do not have to worry about them."

The BNP's election manifesto also promised to launch a canal re-excavation programme across the country. The head of government inaugurated that programme in 54 districts on Mar 16, about a month after the government was formed.

Referring to that promise at the May Day rally, Tarique said: "The people in the villages do not get water when they need it.

"That's why, as you have seen, we have started the famous canal digging programme of Shaheed Zia."