None to be allowed to play ‘minority card’ again in the country: Tarique Rahman

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman Tuesday said the identity of every citizen is the same wherever he or she lives in the country as all are Bangladeshis.

“No matter where our address is on the map of Bangladesh, our identity is common - we are all Bangladeshis,” he told a virtual meeting with grassroots leaders and workers of Chattogram and Barishal divisions.

The session was arranged as part of the ongoing meetings to exchange views with grassroots leaders and workers of the party, BNP’s media cell told BSS.

“Some of us go to mosques, some to temples or pagodas or churches. In the same way, Eid-ul-Fitr is a festival of some people, Durga Puja or Christmas or Buddha Purnima or Baishabi is of some. But this is not our common identity,” Tarique Rahman insisted.

He said: “On the map of Bangladesh, your address can be in hills or plains, some live in haor areas and some in small islands, or in the coastal floodplain or next to the Sundarbans - in all cases we have the common identity, we are all Bangladeshis.”

Even those who try to question this identity had to use this “Bangladeshi” identity in the passport while fleeing to avoid public outrage.

“We will have to use this identity impartially while evaluating your qualifications; similarly we will have the same criteria in the case of our crimes,” he said.

Recalling the past, Tarique Rahman said many games have been played using this “minority card” at home and abroad.

Indicating Bangladesh Awami League, he said, “We all know who has repeatedly tried to take political advantage at home and abroad by using this sensitive minority-majority issue and making story of torture for ages in order to hide their misdeeds and destabilise the country.”

The BNP acting chairman warned that the repetition of this old game of destroying communal harmony will not be allowed again in the country.
“Let us eliminate these by either burying or burning them to ashes,” he said.

“The followers of one religion have traditionally protected the places of prayers of other religions from the hands of the conspirators to destroy religious harmony in this country for ages, they have proved time and again that there is no such thing as a minority or a majority in this country. We all have one and the same identity, we are all Bangladeshis.”

Not only in words but also it should be proved whenever required, he said.

Issuing a note of warn to his party leaders and activists, Tarique said BNP will not tolerate any imprudent actions by a few wayward individuals within the party that can destroy BNP’s place of trust and confidence to people achieved through the patriotism of martyred president Ziaur Rahman, the sacrifice of Deshnetri Begum Khaleda Zia and the self sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of leaders and workers.

The BNP acting chairman said the party is uncompromising on this matter, no matter how top positions he belongs to the party.

The party has recently proved it in Chattogram and Mymensingh, he mentioned.

Tarique Rahman suggested the party men to unitedly resist those, who will do politics in the religious establishments capitalising the religious beliefs and discipline of the people, those who will make the identity of Bangladesh questionable in the world and those who will use the division of religion and caste in the politics of Bangladesh for dishonest purposes, in their respective areas with their political wisdom in unison.

Regarding the reform of the state structure, he said, about two years ago, the BNP and like-minded parties gave a 31-point programme with the demand of reforming the country’s constitution and establishing people’s rights, which is still open for revision and modification.

But he assured that their 31-point programme includes any proposal of reform which will be brought by anybody.

The BNP acting chairman said victory is still far away as the path of success is very long.

“We were in the opposition for the last 17 years and still we are,” he said.

Noting that this is not time for complacency, he expressed optimism that if the grassroots leaders and workers, like vanguards, gain their trust and love by understanding the language of expectations of the people of Bangladesh, likewise they stood by the party during the crisis in the past, BNP will be able to present a new and changed Bangladesh to the people of the country.

BNP standing committee members Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed and Begum Selima Rahman also spoke in the meeting.