Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has extended greetings to party members, supporters and citizens on the occasion of the party’s 47th founding anniversary, vowing to uphold national sovereignty, restore multi-party democracy and alleviate public suffering.
In a message posted on the BNP’s official Facebook page on Sunday, he recalled the party’s establishment on September 1, 1978, by the late President Ziaur Rahman, who sought to unite the people under nationalist ideals.
“This is a day of joy, inspiration and enthusiasm for the people of Bangladesh,” he said, adding that the BNP remains committed to safeguarding sovereignty and ensuring a permanent framework for democratic governance.
Tarique Rahman sharply criticised the one-party Baksal system introduced after independence, accusing the then Awami League government of destroying democracy, curtailing press and judicial freedoms, and presiding over a famine that claimed a million lives.
He said Ziaur Rahman had revived multi-party democracy and restored citizens’ freedoms, while the BNP, over its 47-year history, had come to power several times through elections and worked for the nation’s prosperity.
Paying tribute to the party’s founder, he said BNP has consistently acted as a vigilant guardian of the country’s independence and sovereignty despite conspiracies and adversity.
Tarique also honoured party leaders and activists who, he said, sacrificed their lives in the struggle to restore democracy, including during the anti-Ershad movement in the 1980s and more recently in the 2024 mass uprising.
He praised Khaleda Zia’s uncompromising leadership during the movement against military rule, crediting her for the restoration of democracy in 1991.
Highlighting BNP’s role in reintroducing parliamentary democracy through constitutional reforms in the early 1990s, Tarique Rahman said the party had strengthened democratic practices and driven social and economic progress.
He described BNP’s policies as rooted in liberal values, citing expansions in social safety nets, women’s empowerment, agricultural growth, foreign employment, and remittance inflows during its time in office. These measures, he argued, helped prevent famine and strengthened the national economy.
Tarique Rahman insisted that true democracy has yet to be achieved in Bangladesh. “Only when the rule of law, freedom of expression, and the independence of the judiciary and media are ensured, will the democratic rights of the people be fulfilled,” he said. He stressed that a freely elected, accountable government is essential, and that the sacrifices of those who died in the struggle for democracy will only be honoured through free and fair elections, good governance, and justice.
Calling for an end to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, corruption and political violence, Tarique Rahman urged the dismantling of what he described as a rising “mob culture” that spreads fear and insecurity. He concluded by reaffirming BNP’s core mission: to defend sovereignty, re-establish the practice of multi-party democracy, and stand with the people in their struggle for rights and justice.
SMS/
