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Published : 02 Feb 2026, 11:15 AM
BNP chief Tarique Rahman is set to campaign in the south-western cities of Khulna and Jashore as part of his drive for the 13th parliamentary election, with local leaders expecting him to outline plans for reviving industry, expanding tourism and creating jobs.
Party officials say Tarique is likely to use the rallies to present promises on reopening closed factories, supplying gas to the southern region through pipelines, developing tourism centred on the Sundarbans, boosting the information technology sector, promoting employment, and building green and clean cities.
According to the schedule, Tarique will travel by helicopter from Dhaka to Khulna at 11am on Monday. He is due to address a rally at midday at the Prabhati School field next to Government Haji Muhammad Muhsin College.
He will then leave Khulna at 1pm for Jashore, where he is scheduled to attend a rally at 1:40pm at the Birampur Adarsha Government Primary School field in the New Township area, before returning to Dhaka at 2:40pm.
Rakibul Islam Bakul, the BNP’s candidate for Khulna-3 and a member of the party’s National Executive Committee, said there was widespread enthusiasm among party leaders and activists across Khulna and the wider south-western region.
He said people from surrounding districts and Upazilas were also expected to attend.
“We are expecting the party chief to prioritise plans for economic revival in the south, including reopening long-closed factories, developing Sundarbans-centred tourism, building sustainable embankments in coastal areas, creating jobs for unemployed youth, ensuring gas connections in Khulna, and establishing new economic zones,” he said.
He added that the region had long been neglected, with factory closures leaving thousands without work and the absence of gas connections discouraging new industrial investment. He also said coastal communities continued to face natural disasters due to a lack of sustainable embankments.
Azizul Bari Helal, the BNP’s candidate for Khulna-4 and the party’s information affairs secretary, said Tarique's visit had generated excitement among both party supporters and the wider public.
He noted that this would be Tarique's first visit to Khulna in 22 years, having spent the last 17 years in exile in the UK.
“There is no alternative to job creation, planned industrialisation, modern infrastructure and environmentally responsible use of natural resources to improve living standards in this region,” he said.
“If the development roadmap announced by Tarique Rahman is implemented, the southern region will become economically self-reliant, attracting domestic and foreign investment and creating new employment opportunities.”
Nazrul Islam Manju, the BNP’s candidate for Khulna-2, said the rally would focus on regional development, employment, reopening closed factories and the party’s 10-point agenda.
“For this reason, the Khulna rally will not just be an election gathering, but a milestone in shaping the political and economic future of the south-west,” he said.
In Jashore, district BNP General Secretary Delwar Hossain Khokon said preparations were under way for a large gathering, with programme activities beginning at midday.
He said senior BNP leaders and candidates from districts including Kushtia, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Narail, Magura and Jhenaidah would speak before Tarique takes the stage, adding that organisers were working towards a turnout of around 200,000 people.
Jashore district BNP President Syed Saberul Haque Sabu said extensive preparations had been made for the rally, adding that enthusiasm was high among party leaders, activists and affiliated organisations.
