BDR name to be restored if given state responsibility: Tarique Rahman

BDR name to be restored if given state responsibility: Tarique Rahman

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Tarique Rahman has stated that if given the responsibility of governing the state, the name of Bangladesh's border security force will be restored to its Liberation War-associated name, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).

He said if the BNP gains the responsibility of governing the state through the people's verdict in the upcoming election, the name BDR, associated with the memory of the Liberation War, will be reinstated. In consultation with the army, the day of the Pilkhana massacre will be declared as either 'Shaheed Sena Dibas', 'Sena Hatya Jajna Dibas', or 'National Mourning Day'.

He made these remarks at an event titled 'Firm Trust in Independence and Sovereignty' organised with former armed forces members and their families at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the capital on Saturday, February 7.

Tarique Rahman said, "After the BDR massacre in Pilkhana in 2009, the defeated, disgraced, and expelled fascists changed the name of BDR, which is associated with the memory of Bangladesh's Liberation War. They even changed the colour of their uniforms. I want to share a personal feeling before you. If the BNP gets the responsibility of governing the state through the people's verdict, the Liberation War-associated name BDR will be reinstated."

He said, "Before giving this speech, some former senior army officers gave me some suggestions for the army. I certainly consider suggestions like forming a National Security Council and revising or reforming some rules of the Army Act important. However, I can say this much: if the BNP gains the responsibility of governing the state through the people's verdict in the February 12 election, we will form a committee comprising former and current members of the army to implement these suggestions you have presented. We have a plan to examine and analyse the demands and implement them based on that committee's recommendations."

He further said, "The army feels like an extended family to me. I grew up in a cantonment. I lost my father at a young age. As I grew up, I saw my late mother, Begum Khaleda Zia, had a kind of reliance and respect for the army. My mother always believed that a strong army is necessary to protect the country's sovereignty. As a son, just as I am proud of my father, I also believe that as an army officer, he made the army proud by proclaiming Bangladesh's independence."