Acting Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Tariq Rahman commented that the Awami League has turned the country into a dependent state. He made this comment while addressing a rally held in Nayapaltan of the capital on Tuesday (September 17).

Tariq Rahman also said that the country’s women, children and people of all classes have shown the world that they are not ready to accept the dictatorial rule by any means. Bangladesh’s democratic structure was supposed to be “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” — but for the past 15 years, the country’s governance has been under the control of the mafia. He said that the runaway non-voting government is known as “Government of the Mafia, by the Mafia, for the Mafia” in the country and abroad.
According to Tariq Rahman, this mafia cycle made the country fragile, almost bankrupting the banks. Under their leadership, the country became import-dependent, debt-dependent, and completely interdependent. He alleged that more than 17 lakh crore rupees have been smuggled out of the country in the last decade and a half, and the amount of debt has crossed the limit of 100 billion dollars. It is because of this reckless corruption and looting that this disastrous situation exists today.

He also claimed that even though the mafia chief has fled the country, his gang is still active within the administration and is indulging in conspiracies. The interim government needs to be more effective and accountable to counter this cycle.

Tariq Rahman said that the interim government cannot be allowed to fail and the people should support them. But this government must be held accountable. The interim government should take several reform-oriented steps for the welfare of the people, and make the government accountable to the people through fair elections.

He also said that the number of voters in the country has increased by two and a half crores, but none of them could vote. BNP’s position on this matter is clear – the progress of the country is not possible without women and the young generation.

Acting Chairman of BNP told the leaders and activists that we need to be a little more patient to complete the journey towards discrimination-free Bangladesh. A change in power means a qualitative change in the state and politics. He said, until the people’s government is established, the reform process should be taken forward with the help of the interim government. However, Tariq Rahman firmly believes that no reform can be sustained without political empowerment of the people.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir presided over this rally. The entire program of the assembly was coordinated by BNP Standing Committee member Professor Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain and Joint Secretary General Habibunnabi Khan Sohail. BNP Publicity Secretary Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Member Secretaries of Dhaka Metropolitan North and South Aminul Haque and Tanveer Ahmed Rabin were in attendance.