Trinamool BNP Secretary General Taimur Alam Khandaker is a former Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) mayoral candidate and former MP candidate from the BNP. In an exclusive interview with Dhaka Tribune’s Nawaz Farhin Antara, the prominent political leader speaks about the party’s plans for the upcoming election, stressing that Trinamool BNP accepts the election under the current government and, after a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he and his colleagues believe that a fair election will be ensured this time.
How prepared is Trinamool BNP for the election?
The national crisis in the country requires national unity, and Trinamool BNP represents that unity. Trinamool BNP aims to form the government in the future. If we cannot do so, we will become the main opposition party in this country. Trinamool BNP plans to field candidates in 300 seats in the upcoming 12th parliamentary elections. We have proceeded accordingly and are ready to bring about a change in the country. The main objective of our party is to restore a healthy political environment. We are the Trinamool Congress of a future Bangladesh. Accordingly, we are planning the future of the party and preparing to participate in elections in a systematic way. Forty aspirants from our team have already bought the forms, and we have qualified individuals ready to form a planned government.
Why are you confident in a new party?
I am known as a labor leader. The primary goal of my party will be the development of the lives of workers and low-income people. I will introduce a system where people feel that the country belongs to them, and they are the owners of the state. Our main pillar is to ensure quality improvement in politics and enhance the quality of life for low-income people, bringing about good governance. We have elevated the foundation of the movement to a different level by ensuring a fair election. Elections in this country will not be prevented by agitation. Therefore, the language of our agitation will be through participation in elections. We will observe the election situation from within the election system. If a questionable election is organized again, we will protest it as an opposition party and ensure that not only are elections fair and participatory, but that Parliament is also participatory.
What is your position on ensuring a fair election?
We are confident that this election will be different from the elections of the last two terms. This time, there will not be an election of plunder as before. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a meeting with us, expressing her desire for a fair election, which she will ensure. There will be a level playing field, with all political parties enjoying a fair, participatory election environment. The prime minister herself has confirmed this to us, and I believe we can fully trust her. However, if that does not happen, we have alternative plans. After submitting nominations, we will get a clearer idea of the electoral situation during constituency-wise election campaigns. If opposition parties can conduct their activities independently, we will be satisfied with the decision to participate in the elections. If we are obstructed by any force, we will change our election-centric position and decision through a press conference and inform the people.
What will be in your election manifesto?
Our target is to nationalize control of society from the elite class or big shots. Equality of distribution between working, low-income people, and the owning class is the main thrust of our manifesto. We have devised a plan to bring about economic stability in the system through an equitable distribution of resources. We will insist on all the rights a citizen deserves, from legal aid and ensuring justice to economic rights, as noted in the preamble of the Constitution. And we think there is a need for mega projects. Hence, a strong systemic stance is needed to prevent economic crises, economic recession, rampant corruption at all levels, and inflation in the economy. That is our main goal. A prime minister alone will not be able to stop everything; I think we will need everyone's cooperation.
If Trinamool BNP comes to power, who will be the prime minister?
I am the secretary general of the party, but I will not run the country as the prime minister. I want to be a leader of workers and low-income people and work for them all my life. We have qualified and intelligent people in the party who can take on the role of prime minister. As we will work entirely for the people, the kind of prime minister the people want will be chosen. And this decision will be decided by our board; it is not a privately owned party. If people want women leadership in our party, there are qualified executive women members in our party. We have army personnel in our party, and besides, there is an experienced co-chairman. We will take that decision by a majority.
How many seats do you expect to get?
The prime minister called us for a meeting, assuring us of a fair election. I can confidently say that we will secure an honorable number of seats based on her assurances. Our strong candidates are not in short supply. However, we have nothing to say about the number of seats before the election.
