What Exactly Is Tarique Rahman’s ‘Plan’ For Bangladesh And Its People? | World News

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Deputy Chairman Tarique Rahman told his citizens in Dhaka on Thursday (December 25) that he has a plan, but did not pay much attention to the details. Both of the 60-year-old BNP leader’s parents served as heads of government at different times. While his father, Ziaur Rahman, was the sixth President of Bangladesh from 1977 until his assassination in 1981, Tariq’s mother was the first female Prime Minister, serving from 1991-1996 and 2001-2006.

Given that date, and the fact that he returned just before Bangladesh’s high-stakes February general election, the content had to be political. However, in his brief speech, he avoided portraying himself as a potential prime minister, although he did occasionally touch on his family’s legacy.

But his return after a gap of 17 years signals the BNP’s intention to take back the leadership and mobilize mass support. He talked about a country where there will be peace, security and unity, and where the current instability poses a great threat to law, order and life.

“I have a plan for my country, for the people of my country,” he said in English, in between his clipped Bengali speech, as opposed to his normal, vernacular speaking tone; this may be the result of a long 17-year exile in the UK.

This plan has not yet been detailed and whether it will be holistic and include opponents and critics will be known later. BNP’s main Opposition Awami League remains out of the 2026 elections; His main rival, Sheikh Hasina, took refuge in neighboring India.

Tarık should know this; He was himself in exile and repeated allegations of oppression and political alienation under the Hasina regime. Those allegations were also present in his Thursday speech, but that was not the fate of his political rival, who now faces the death penalty.

However, some may see that the statement “The people of Bangladesh want to take back their speech rights and democratic rights” is perhaps linked to the recent ban of Awami League leaders from contesting elections.

Meanwhile, he insisted on an all-inclusive society that included citizens of all faiths and religions, but did not directly condemn the arson and murders or offer comprehensive condolences for the victims.

He paid tribute to Osman Hadi and touched on the need to “regain economic rights”, highlighting the economic hardships of ordinary citizens; He linked economic justice to sacrifices in 1971 and 2024, suggesting continuity between past struggles and current demands.

Tarique’s speech positions the BNP as the primary alternative force ahead of the February election and appeals to democratic aspirations at a time when many feel disenfranchised.

He positioned himself as the heir of Bangladesh’s democratic struggles, recalling Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Liberation, the 1975 uprising, and the mass movement of the 1990s.

It is not yet known whether the large crowds on his path through the streets of Dhaka, those who attended the event and those who listened to his speech elsewhere will find in him the leader they are looking for.

Time will also tell the content of the plan he brought from England to build a new hope and a new beginning for the people of his country in this turbulent period.