BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has warned that Bangladesh is experiencing an “abnormal national condition”, exacerbated by a lack of democratic accountability and a series of attempts to undermine the country’s political structure.
Tarique, addressing the conclusion of the BNP's second day of its Plan to Build the Country programme on Monday, declared that Bangladesh is experiencing fundamental challenges in governance, economic management, and public safety, which he attributed to the long-term erosion of democratic ideals.
“Democracy is the only safeguard against unaccountable power”
Tarique argued that Bangladesh’s current instability derives from the absence of a government accountable to the people.
“Only democracy can ensure responsibility in society and the state.” A government chosen by the public must respond to ordinary citizens,” he said, adding that narratives portraying all political actors but one as inherently flawed are “damaging for democratic society.”
He claimed that attempts to derail democratic processes have occurred several times throughout Bangladesh’s history and continue to this day.
Economic pressures, public insecurity
- Tarique identified a number of stressors in the economy and public services:
- Factory closures, falling investor confidence, strains in health and education sectors, deteriorating public safety, fear of mugging and road travel, and escalating road fatalities (nearly 7,000 deaths last year).
“These are not isolated incidents,” claimed the man. “When factories close, when banks weaken, when road accidents become routine—that is not a normal national condition.”
Context of Political Transition
Regarding the August 5 political shift, Tarique recognised the “ordinary people of Bangladesh”—from rickshaw-pullers to tiny shops and families that lost loved ones—as the main movers of change. Their demand, he continued, was for a state that is responsible and transparent.
He also noted that post-transition political behaviour retains remnants of the previous era’s worldview. “The idea that one individual is always right and everyone else is wrong cannot coexist with democratic practice,” he told reporters.
Tarique highlighted that political parties should give precise, tangible strategies rather than broad guarantees. BNP proposes sector-specific reforms in education, agriculture, healthcare, women’s empowerment, environmental management, employment, and economic restructuring.
Other parties, he claimed, had not established comparable structures.
He explained that the BNP’s vision is built on multiparty democracy, rights-based governance, and economic stability.
Key policy pledges
Tarique outlined BNP’s policy commitments if elected, including re-excavating canals, reviving Ziaur Rahman’s water-management initiative, large-scale tree planting, skills development, family cards for 50 lakh women, and farmers’ cards for marginal farmers.
He stated that nation-building is the BNP’s primary goal following the overthrow of the Awami League administration through a mass uprising.
The BNP’s six-day Plans to Build the Country campaign, launched on November 27, involves policy training and election preparation for affiliated organisations such as Chhatra Dal, Krishak Dal, Ulema Dal, and Swechchhasebak Dal.
On Monday, Chhatra Dal workers from throughout the country gathered at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in Dhaka for seminars on eight themes: family welfare, agriculture, health, education, sports, the environment, religious affairs, and employment.
Party leaders stated that the goal is to guarantee that organisers can properly promote the BNP’s proposed policies to voters ahead of the national election.
.jpg "Former minister, Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed dies")
