Acting Chairman of BNP Tariq Rahman said that if the people's right to vote is ensured, the state should not bear the responsibility of unpopular acts like banning or popularizing any political party or person. If the culture of deciding the political fate of an individual or a party is introduced in the arena of politics i.e. in the court of the people, it will undoubtedly be considered as an important political reform.
Tariq Rahman said this in the speech of the chief guest at a discussion meeting at the Engineers Institution of the capital on Wednesday. BNP organized this meeting on the occasion of November 7. The party has been observing this day as revolution and solidarity day. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir presided over the meeting.
Regarding the increase in commodity prices, Tariq Rahman said that if the commodity prices fail to be controlled, all the reform activities of the interim government may come under question. He said, 'BNP is in favor of reform. However, BNP thinks that the qualitative change-reform of politics, political parties and political workers-supporters for the purpose of political empowerment of the people is more important than the political reform of the state or state institutions.
Expressing confidence in the victory of his party if the people get a chance to vote, Tariq Rahman said to the leaders and workers, 'It is good to have confidence of victory. But don't overconfidently isolate yourself from the people. Refrain from doing anything that is not popular with the people.'
Regarding the discussion of the banning of political parties, the Acting Chairman of BNP said, 'If the right of the people to vote is ensured, the people will reject the murderers, robbers, money launderers, corruptors or mafia gangs hiding behind political identities through voting.' He said, “As a political activist, I believe that only if both the people's court and the state court can be made effective and strengthened in the state, significant qualitative reform of the state and politics can be ensured.”
Tariq Rahman said, 'People's court means not judicial court or mob justice. A people's court means that the ultimate power to empower or disempower an individual or group is vested in the people. That is, the political arrangement of the state should be such that, from the Union Parishad to the National Assembly, at whatever level of representation, no individual or political worker can be elected without the direct vote of the citizens. If such a political system is ensured, the way to become people's representative as a dummy candidate will be naturally blocked. The candidate has to approach the people's court.'
Tariq Rahman said, 'We need to realize that the political and economic empowerment of the people is necessary if we do not want to see the state institutions in the role of tyranny or fascism. Otherwise, freedom, democracy, or constitutional reform will not be sustainable, and institutions will not be able to function.'
He said, 'Fascism will never be able to take away people's right to vote and freedom if the people's courts and state courts as well as the judiciary are strong, independent and effective in the country.'
BNP's program on November 7
BNP has announced several programs on the occasion of November 7. Accordingly, the leaders and workers of the party will pay respects at the tomb of Ziaur Rahman, the founder of the party, on Thursday morning. In the afternoon, the Jatiyatabadi Social Sangkar Sanstha (Jasas), an affiliate of BNP, organized a cultural program in front of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (FDC) near Karwan Bazar in the capital. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of the party will be the chief guest.
