Tarique Rahman’s tour of northern districts postponed at EC’s request

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has postponed party chairperson Tarique Rahman’s planned tour of northern Bangladesh following a request from the Election Commission, party leaders said on Friday night (January 9).

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the decision after an emergency meeting of the party’s national standing committee at the BNP office in Gulshan. He said Rahman was scheduled to visit several northern districts from January 11 to pay respects at the graves of national leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Shaheed Abu Sayed and other martyrs of the 2024 student–public uprising, and to attend to family matters. The tour has now been deferred in consideration of the EC’s request.

Fakhrul alleged that a section is conspiring to undermine and derail the upcoming parliamentary election, expected to be held in February. He claimed political violence is being deliberately escalated to disrupt the electoral environment.

Referring to recent incidents, Fakhrul said several political leaders, including BNP activists, have been killed, citing the shooting deaths of Osman Hadi and Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal leader Azizur Rahman alias Musabbir. He demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

Warning that continued violence would make a free, fair and peaceful election impossible, Fakhrul urged the government and the Election Commission to take visible and effective steps to improve law and order, prevent political violence and ensure swift justice.

Party sources said the standing committee meeting also reviewed the overall political situation, election preparations and organisational readiness ahead of the polls.