I have a plan: Tarique Rahman

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman said he has a clear plan to rebuild Bangladesh, calling for collective public support to implement it.

Speaking at a mass reception in Purbachal on Thursday (December 25), he echoed civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous phrase, saying, “I have a plan,” to underline his vision for the country’s future.

Rahman said the people of Bangladesh, as in 1971, again united in 2024 to protect the country’s independence and sovereignty. “People now want to reclaim their right to speak and their democratic rights,” he said.

Emphasising unity, he said Bangladesh belongs to people of all regions, religions, and communities and called for a safe country where women, men, and children can move freely without fear.

Referring to a recent killing, Rahman said those who sacrificed their lives in 1971 and 2024 must be honoured by building the Bangladesh they envisioned. He stressed that the responsibility of nation-building would primarily fall on the younger generation and repeatedly called for peace and a strong democratic and economic foundation.

Earlier, Rahman arrived at the venue from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in a decorated bus. He took the stage at 3:50pm and began his speech at 3:57pm, opening with the words, “Dear Bangladesh.”

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir formally welcomed him at the event.