No one has the authority to give tickets to heaven: Tarique Rahman

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman has said that only Allah is the owner of this world and the hereafter, heaven and hell, and no human being has the authority to grant such things.

“Allah alone owns this world and the afterlife, heaven and hell. If Allah is the owner, can anyone else give them? They cannot. Ahead of the election, a party is promising this and that, even claiming to give tickets to heaven. Those who speak of things that humans do not own are deceiving people and committing shirk,” he said.

Tarique Rahman made the remarks on Thursday afternoon, November 22, during the first election rally of the 13th national parliamentary election at the historic Government Alia Madrasa ground in Sylhet. During his speech, he called an elderly man who had performed Umrah onto the stage and engaged him in a question-and-answer exchange.

He asked the elderly man who owns the Holy Kaaba, the earth and heaven and hell. When the man and the crowd replied in unison, “Allah,” Tarique Rahman said, “You yourselves have testified that Allah owns everything. Those who are promising such things before the election are deceiving you. Imagine how much they will deceive you after the election.” He added that the people of the country know where those who once supported authoritarianism are hiding.

He said that thousands of people have sacrificed their lives over the past 15 years to create the situation in which millions could gather at the rally. “You are here today to establish your political rights, freedom of expression and voting rights,” he said, adding that over the last 15 to 16 years, people’s voices had been silenced, voting rights taken away and the right of ordinary citizens to speak suppressed.

Tarique Rahman alleged that the perpetrators were not satisfied with merely stripping people of voting rights. “Hundreds of thousands of people, like Ilias Ali and Junaid Didar, were killed. Millions of BNP leaders, activists and ordinary people were subjected to enforced disappearances, killings and false cases,” he said.

Accusing the authorities of looting in the name of development, he said that over the past 15 to 16 years, national wealth had been plundered and siphoned off abroad. Citing the Dhaka–Sylhet highway as an example, he said that during the floods in Sunamganj in 2005, it took about an hour to travel from Dhaka to Sylhet, whereas now it takes around 10 hours. “It does not even take that long to fly to London. This is the reality of so-called development,” he said.

He further said that people’s political rights had been taken away through so-called elections and that the current gathering was possible because of those who had taken to the streets and sacrificed their lives to establish rights.

Referring to the mass movement of August 5, 2024, Tarique Rahman said that just as people liberated the country in 1971, the people of Bangladesh protected their freedom and established their rights on August 5, 2024.

Recalling the foundation of parliamentary democracy laid during the tenure of martyred President Ziaur Rahman, he said the BNP wanted to change the current situation. Addressing the crowd, he asked whether they stood with him to bring about that change.

Speaking about farmers, he said that if the sheaf of paddy symbol was victorious, the BNP would stand beside farmers across the country. He added that if the BNP formed the government, canal excavation programmes would be revived nationwide to restore water bodies.

On foreign policy, he said that over the past 15 to 16 years the country had effectively been mortgaged to other nations. “That is why we say, not Delhi, not any other country, Bangladesh comes first,” he said.

Referring to the “Take Back Bangladesh” programme, he said that half the journey had already been completed by freeing the country from authoritarianism. “Now the journey to establish democracy must begin. That journey will start by electing the sheaf of paddy on the 12th,” he said.

Highlighting women’s issues, Tarique Rahman said that women make up half of the population and that a BNP government would take initiatives to make them economically self-reliant. He mentioned the introduction of family cards to ensure assistance reaches disadvantaged, lower-middle and middle-class families through female family members.

He recalled that the government led by Khaleda Zia had introduced free education for women and said a future BNP government aimed to make educated women economically independent.

Addressing youth issues, he said millions of young people were unemployed and that the BNP did not want to keep them jobless. He pledged to create employment opportunities at home and abroad through training and language education.

He also alleged that conspiracies were again being hatched from abroad, claiming that attempts were underway to rig votes through postal ballot manipulation. Recalling those who lost their lives in mass movements in Sylhet and elsewhere, he urged people to remain vigilant to protect the rights achieved through sacrifice.

Returning to religious references, he reiterated that Allah is the owner of the Holy Kaaba, the earth and everything else, and that no one else has the authority to give what belongs to Allah. He said those making such promises ahead of the election were misleading people.

In his concluding remarks, Tarique Rahman said the BNP wanted not only to restore voting rights but also to make people economically self-reliant, working for farmers, women and youth alike. Chanting slogans, he said, “We will work, we will build the nation — Bangladesh first.”

At the end of the rally, he sought votes for the sheaf of paddy symbol in the upcoming election and said that if the BNP formed the government, the country would be run in line with the ideals of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. He concluded with the slogan, “Bangladesh Zindabad.”

Speaking as a special guest, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called on people to unite and ensure victory for the sheaf of paddy under the leadership of Tarique Rahman to rebuild the country.

Referring to the persecution of BNP leaders and activists during the Awami League’s rule, Mirza Fakhrul said that people had fought for democracy for 15 years, facing enforced disappearances and killings but never bowing their heads.

He said Ziaur Rahman’s vision was Bangladeshi nationalism and national development, adding that the journey to rebuild Bangladesh had now begun from Sylhet.

Earlier, around 12:30 pm, Tarique Rahman arrived on the stage accompanied by his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, as the Alia Madrasa ground reverberated with slogans.

The rally was presided over by Sylhet district BNP President Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury. Other speakers included BNP Joint Secretary General Humayun Kabir, Organising Secretary GK Gaus, Co-Organising Secretary Miftah Siddiqui, Sylhet-1 candidate Khandaker Abdul Muqtadir, Sylhet-2 candidate Tahsina Rushdi Luna, Sylhet-4 candidate Ariful Haque Chowdhury and Sylhet-6 candidate Imran Ahmed Chowdhury, among others.