Special Correspondent //

‘Making reforms and elections face to face is regrettable,’ said BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.

He said, ‘Two and a half years ago, BNP raised a 31-point proposal to repair the state structure with the aim of change.

Sadly, we see a situation emerging. Reforms and elections are being made face to face. All of you here are politicians. What does democracy mean to a common man? For the common man, in one word, elections, the system of voting without fear, we call that democracy.’

The BNP Acting Chairman said these things in his speech as the chief guest at the Iftar Mahfil of the 12-party alliance on Saturday, joining virtually.

The Iftar Mahfil was organized at the Sky City Hotel in Malibagh in the capital. Leaders of anti-fascist political parties participated in it.

Tarique Rahman said, ‘Some people are saying that the reforms will be completed and then the elections will be held. I personally believe that what ends cannot be reformed. Reform is an ongoing process. We will reform and change the shortcomings in our education system. We will move forward with time and improve the education system. We will change and improve the medical system for the people of the country. We will try to make it better after moving forward in the changed situation.

Call to maintain unity at any cost even if there are ‘differences’ The BNP acting chairman said, we have to maintain unity at any cost. There will be differences of opinion, we will sit and discuss. We will try to refrain from saying and doing anything so that in no way can tyranny or its ghosts sit on the shoulders of the people of this country again. Let this be our expectation, let this be our oath at today’s Iftar gathering.

Referring to the loss of colleagues and relatives in the movement, he said, let us maintain the unity with which we bid farewell to tyranny. We will try our best to maintain this unity in the coming days, to maintain this unity, and to establish the democracy expected by the people of this country. We will implement the reform process expected by the people of this country through discussions.

Tarique Rahman said, “There are political differences among political parties, not everyone has the same ideals. There are some differences. There is one place where we are all united – that is Bangladesh, the people of Bangladesh and democracy. But there is no division here. We are all united in the basic issue.” ’

Presided over by the 12-party alliance coordinator Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar) Chairman Mustafa Jamal Haider and moderated by Jatiya Party spokesperson Syed Ehsanul Huda, BNP Standing Committee Member Selima Rahman, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna, AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Manju, Bangladesh LDP Chairman Shahadat Hossain Selim, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Alliance’s Fariduzzaman Farhad, JSD’s Shahid Uddin Mahmud Swapan, Ganaodhikar Parishad Faruk Hasan and Jatiya Party (Jafar)’s Kazi Nahid spoke at the pre-iftar discussion.

BNP Chairperson’s Advisor Zainul Abdin Faruk, Acting Chairman’s Advisor Dr. Mahadi Amin, BNP Information and Research Secretary Riazuddin Nosu, Executive Committee Member Abdus Sattar Patwari, Abu Naser Muhammad Rahmatullah, Maulana Abdur Rakib of Islami Oikya Jote, Rashed Pradhan of Jagpar, Chairman of Kalyan Party Shamsuddin Parvez, Bangladesh Labor Party Faruk Rahman, Mufti Mohiuddin Ikram of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Syed Nurul Islam of Samyabadi Dal and other leaders of various political parties participated.

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