Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday accused some political parties and individuals of trying to create anarchy by exploiting the country’s ongoing power and gas crises inherited by his administration, saying everyone should act within their limits.
“We are trying to resolve all the problems we have inherited, whether from the authoritarian regime or the interim government,” he said while speaking at a discussion meeting marking the BNP’s 48th founding anniversary.
Tarique Rahman acknowledged that there are problems in various sectors that are causing suffering to the people.
“But we are noticing that some political parties and individuals are trying in different ways to create confusion by exploiting these problems, and through this confusion they are trying to create anarchy in the country,” he said.
The prime minister said the government will uphold the democratic process and make its utmost effort to maintain democratic principles and ethics.
“But if anyone wants to create anarchy, the law of the country clearly sets out how to control such anarchy. Therefore, as a government—and not just as a government, but as a government elected by the people—I want to make it clear that everyone needs to remain within their respective limits,” he said.
The discussion was held at the auditorium of the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in Farmgate.
At the beginning of the program, participants observed a one-minute silence in memory of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, former BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and all those who sacrificed their lives for the country and the party.
The event began with the national anthem, followed by the party anthem and a documentary on the BNP.
President Ziaur Rahman founded the BNP on September 1, 1978. The five-day central program marking the party’s 48th founding anniversary, which began on Tuesday, concluded with Saturday’s discussion.
Tarique Rahman said the BNP inherited a fragile economy, as well as weak health, education and communication systems, after forming the government.
He identified the energy crisis as the country’s biggest immediate problem, acknowledging that many people and industries are suffering from shortages of electricity and fuel.
“I apologize on behalf of the party to all those who are suffering from the shortage of electricity and fuel,” the BNP chief said.
He, however, said the government did not want to use the problems left behind by the previous regime or the interim government merely as excuses.
“We do not want to simply cite these problems as excuses. Rather, we want to present the reality to the people and at the same time take measures so that people do not have to face such problems in the future,” the prime minister said.
He said the BNP has already adopted an action plan to address the energy crisis and prepare the country to withstand possible future global disruptions.
“An action plan requires time to formulate, and implementing it also requires some time,” Tarique Rahman said, adding that the government is taking its measures keeping possible future global crises in mind.
He alleged that a political group operated in disguise during the previous authoritarian regime and that some of its members subsequently admitted their involvement.
The prime minister also accused some political parties of attempting to spread confusion and said such activities could create an opportunity for forces associated with the ousted authoritarian regime to return to the political scene.
“Could it be that those who remained hidden under the authoritarian regime are now, from within that hidden network, trying to incite this anarchy?” he asked.
“If that is the case, then those who are hiding are actually working to bring that authoritarian regime back to the forefront,” Tarique Rahman said.
Calling on all nationalist forces and BNP leaders and activists, he said: “Let us make the people more aware. Let us expose to the people who is taking responsibility for whom and who is trying to protect whom.”
The prime minister alleged that certain political forces had protected or sheltered one another at different points in Bangladesh’s history.
“This politics must be exposed before the people. We have to make it clear to the people. Because we have seen these forces, operating covertly, shielding and sheltering one another at different times over the years and decades—whether in 1971, 1986, 1996, over the past one and a half decades, or even today," he said.
“So today, we have to expose their politics before the people. We have to make it clear to the people," Tarique Rahman said.
He said the BNP had consistently sought to establish a democratic system and uphold the democratic rights of the people since the party’s inception.
“We still firmly believe in this,” the prime minister said, adding that hundreds of thousands of BNP leaders and activists had sacrificed their lives for democracy.
At the same time, he said, the BNP wants to build a humane state and a democracy where no one would face obstacles in exercising their rights.