BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman yesterday said the upcoming national election on February 12 would be an opportunity to uphold the people’s rights and urged voters to place their trust in candidates carrying the “Sheaf of Paddy” symbol.
“February 12 will be a day to uphold the rights of the people. On that day, you should entrust responsibility to the candidates of the Sheaf of Paddy. From February 13, your elected MPs will be accountable to you. God willing, I will ensure that the elected representatives properly fulfill their responsibilities,” he said in a televised address to the nation.
Tarique said the election would restore citizens’ political power by allowing them to exercise their right to vote at both local and national levels.
“Through this election, the people will play a vital role in ensuring that the rights of the state and government are realized,” he added.
He said BNP has already announced its election manifesto aimed at ensuring political and economic empowerment for citizens, outlining plans to build a self-reliant Bangladesh across all sectors and social groups.
Emphasizing a vision of a safe and humane Bangladesh for future generations, Tarique said all party plans had been finalized with that objective in mind.
“Ensuring employment and safe working environments for young men and women at home and abroad is now BNP’s top priority. Today, I want to briefly highlight a few key points from our manifesto,” he said.
According to him, the manifesto includes reforms in the banking, insurance, capital market, and industry and trade sectors, with a target of creating one million jobs nationwide. Unemployed youth will be trained as skilled workers through technical and practical education, as well as freelancing and outsourcing programmes.
He also said regional development of cottage industries and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) would be supported through easy and low-interest loans.
On women’s empowerment, Tarique said women make up half of the country’s population and announced plans to introduce a family card that would provide low-income households with Tk2,500 per month or equivalent food assistance in the first phase.
“Specialized electric transport, daycare facilities, breastfeeding corners, hygienic washrooms, and workplace safety will be ensured for women. Support will also be extended to women entrepreneurs and employment initiatives,” he said.
He also announced plans to introduce a “Farmer Card” to provide farmers with updated agricultural information and financial support, assuring fair wages and safe working conditions for farmers and labourers.
“If farmers thrive, the country will thrive. BNP will prioritise farmers’ interests,” he said.
Tarique said technical, practical, and multilingual education would be ensured for students, with technical and vocational education made mandatory at the secondary level. In addition to Bangla and English, a third language would also be introduced.
He said unemployed youth would be prepared for high-paying jobs at home and abroad, while special initiatives would be taken to produce and market regionally renowned and traditional products locally.
“Easy and low-interest loans will be provided to develop local cottage industries and SMEs,” he added.
Referring to future industrial development, Tarique said new industries would be developed in IT-related sectors, including cybersecurity, outsourcing, data processing, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors.
“These sectors are expected to generate 200,000 direct jobs annually, along with another 800,000 indirect jobs through freelancing and creative industries,” he said.
Criticizing the current government, Tarique alleged that corruption and politicization had rendered constitutional and legal institutions ineffective.
“BNP will ensure a principle-based administration where all constitutional institutions operate in accordance with the law. Recruitment and promotion will be based on merit and qualifications, not political affiliation,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of an effective civil administration, saying national pay scales for government officials and employees would be announced and implemented in phases if BNP came to power.
On minority rights, Tarique said people of all religions would be safe in Bangladesh.
“Religion belongs to the individual, and the state belongs to all. In the 1971 Liberation War and the 2024 independence protection movement, religion was never a factor,” he said, adding that financial support would be ensured for religious leaders, including imams and muezzins.
Concluding his address, Tarique called on voters to support the Sheaf of Paddy symbol.
“Victory of the Sheaf of Paddy is victory for Bangladesh. It will ensure a free, sovereign, and independent Bangladesh,” he said.