BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday said the interim government, led by Dr Muhammad Yunus, must take on the challenge of winning the BNP’s trust unshakably.
“We all know that there was no alternative to an interim government to fill the vacuum suddenly created in a dictatorship-free Bangladesh. For valid reasons, we supported them at the time and still support them. They must take on the challenge of ensuring that our trust in them remains unshaken,” he said.
“While it may not be possible for them to implement all changes, it would also be unreasonable for them to shoulder responsibilities they cannot carry,” he observed.
The BNP leader said that every decision, statement, and reaction at the highest levels of government requires the careful and visible application of utmost caution to avoid misunderstanding.
He said that running a government is a highly sensitive and complex task, warning that even a small deviation can raise a big question, while carelessness can weaken the essential trust and fracture the unity that is at the core of the nation’s strength.
“Any one of these can lead to a terrible disaster. It’s important to remember that the visible and invisible evil spirit of a dictatorship, built up over a decade and a half, will not rid us of its poisonous breath so easily,” Tarique observed.
The Jhenaidah District unit of BNP organised the mass rally at Payra Chattar, demanding justice for Rakib and Sabir, two locals who were martyred during the recent movement for the restoration of democracy.
He also cautioned that if this situation persists, the government, trapped in the constraints placed by the autocrat’s associates, will eventually see a series of small crises escalate into major disasters. “At that point, the path to effective solutions will be exceedingly narrow,” he added.
Tarique said it is important to keep in mind that there is no alternative to an elected government for ensuring foreign investment, international confidence and relations, state stability, ease of doing business, public safety, continuity of development, and providing citizens with daily services at the grassroots level.
He said the mass uprising led by students and the public in July and August has emerged as a message of another independence and victory for the nation. “If we hastily label this as the success of a specific group, we risk falling into the trap of distorting history once again.”
The BNP leader highlighted the importance of honouring the contributions of people from all walks of life—political parties, students, housewives, and workers—in the great conflict against autocracy.
He also emphasised the sacrifices of the millions of political activists who have fallen victim to everything from murder and enforced disappearances, to judicial harassment and other forms of oppression over the past seventeen years. “If we fail to do that, history will not forgive any of us,” Tareque
