Country to advance further under Tarique Rahman's leadership: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Tuesday that the party is optimistic the country will make significant progress under the leadership of Tarique Rahman.

“This is a historic moment that, after a period of torture and oppression, destruction of democracy and the parliament being made dysfunctional by the long fascist government, we have now secured a parliament through a fair election at the cost of much blood of the people,” he said.

The veteran BNP leader added, “Through this parliament, having secured a majority of seats, we have elected our young leader Tarique Rahman as the leader of the parliamentary party. We are optimistic that the country will advance far under his leadership.”

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman was unanimously elected as the parliamentary party leader at a meeting held at 12:00 pm at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir informed journalists of the decision following the parliamentary party meeting.

He also said, “In today’s first meeting of our parliamentary party, it has been decided that BNP MPs will not accept any duty-free cars, and no plots will be taken from the government.”

Earlier, at 10:00 am, the newly elected BNP MPs took their oaths in the oath room of the Parliament Building, administered by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin.

The election for the 13^th national parliament was held on 12 February.

Results for two constituencies out of 300 seats remain suspended, and the election for one seat was cancelled following the death of a candidate.

Of the remaining 297 seats, BNP won 209, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami 68, National Citizens Party (NCP) six, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlish two, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Gano Odhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Gonosamhati Andolon and Khelafat Majlish one each, while independent candidates secured seven seats.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman vacated the Bogura-6 seat while retaining Dhaka-17 on Monday. A by-election will be held in the vacated constituency.