I have a plan: Tarique Rahman
The motorcade carrying Tarique Rahman reached the public reception venue in Purbachal of the capital from Shahjalal International Airport in a bus decorated in red and green.
At around 3:51pm, Tarique Rahman took the stage. He began his speech at 3:57pm. He opened by saying, “Dear Bangladesh.” BNP leaders were with him. After getting on the stage, Tarique Rahman waved to the leaders and activists.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir welcomed Tarique Rahman on the stage.
“Respected elders present here, national leaders, dear brothers and sisters, and through the media, dear brothers and sisters and dear mothers and sisters across Bangladesh who are watching this programme—assalamu alaikum. Dear brothers and sisters, first of all today I want to offer thousands and millions of thanks to Rabbul Alamin (Allah). By the boundless mercy of Rabbul Alamin, today I have been able to return to my beloved motherland—through your prayers, and back among you.”
In his speech, Tarique Rahman said that just as the people of this country achieved independence in 1971, in 2024 people from all walks of life together protected the country’s independence and sovereignty. Today, the people of Bangladesh want to regain their right to speak. They want to reclaim their democratic rights.
“This beloved motherland was achieved in 1971 by the blood of hundreds of thousands of martyrs. In the same way, on 7 November 1975, the country was saved from the clutches of hegemony through the sepoy–people’s uprising to protect it from domination. Similarly, later in 1990, the people of this country—the working masses—wrested back their democratic rights by rising up against autocracy. Yet even then, the conspiracies of the conspirators did not stop. After that, we saw that just as the people of this country achieved independence in 1971, on 5 August 2024 the students and the masses of this country, along with people from all walks of life—farmers, workers, homemakers, women and men, madrasa students—regardless of party affiliation, across all classes and professions, together protected the independence and sovereignty of this country on that day.”
Tarique Rahman further said that the time has come for everyone to work together to build the country.
“Just as there are people of the hills in this country, there are also people of the plains. Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and people of different faiths live in this country. Together we want to build such a Bangladesh—the Bangladesh we have dreamed of, the Bangladesh a mother dreams of. That is, we want to build a safe Bangladesh.”
Remembering martyr Osman Hadi, Tarique Rahman said that Osman Hadi wanted the people of this country to regain their economic rights. To repay the debt of blood of those who were martyred in 1971 and those who were martyred in 2024, the desired Bangladesh must be built.
He said the young generation will build the country in the future. He emphasised building the nation on a democratic foundation with a strong economic base.
He repeated three times in succession that “we want peace in the country.”
Referring to Martin Luther King’s famous quote “I Have a Dream,” Tarique Rahman said, “I have a plan.” He said he has plans to build the country and that he needs the cooperation of every individual. Only then, he said, will it be possible to implement those plans.
At this time, Tarique Rahman requested everyone’s prayers for the recovery of his mother, BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Tarique Rahman said, “Together we will work, together we will build our Bangladesh.” He expressed his gratitude to everyone.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir; Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Bir Bikram), and AZM Zahid Hossain, were among the BNP leaders present on the stage.
Also present were long-time partners of the joint movement, including Saiful Haque, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party; Andaleeve Rahman Partho, Chairman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP); Zonayed Saki, Chief Coordinator of the Ganosamhati Andolon; Tania Rob, Senior Vice President of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD); Nurul Haque, President of the Gono Odhikar Parishad; Bobby Hajjaj, Chairman of NDM; Fariduzzaman Farhad, Chairman of NPP; former Professor of the Department of Political Science at Dhaka University Nurul Amin Bepari; and many others.
After delivering his speech, Tarique Rahman headed to Evercare Hospital. He boarded the bus a little before 4:30pm. BNP announced the conclusion of the rally.