Published: 12:16 AM, 21 April 2026
12 Feb polls established people's voting rights: PM
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, also BNP chief, addresses a public rally at Altafunnesa playground in Bogura on Monday. -Agency
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said with the landslide victory of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the 13th parliamentary elections held on 12 February 2026 the people of Bangladesh have been able to establish their voting rights and secure freedom of speech from which they were deprived of for more than 12 years.
Tarique Rahman made the remark while addressing a massive rally organized by the BNP Bogura district unit at Altafunnesa ground here yesterday.
"In the February 12 general elections, the countrymen exercised their voting rights, which had been denied for many years," Tarique Rahman said.
Through their ballots, the voters of Bangladesh delivered their verdict and entrusted BNP with the responsibility of governing the country for the next five years, the Prime Minister further said.
When Tarique Rahman arrived on the stage around 5:45 PM on Monday (20 April 2026), thousands of supporters greeted him with loud applause. The smiling Prime Minister waved in response.
Tarique Rahman said the people of this country were deprived of freedom of speech. There was no political freedom of the people, he added.
"We have seen how people were deceived in the name of development, and how looting took place under the guise of development. However, we have begun step by step to implement all promises we made before the election," he stated.
"Before the elections, we told the people how we will run the country. Today, in Gabtoli of Bogura, we have distributed Family Card. We promised that if BNP could form the government, we would introduce Family Card to empower mothers of this country. We have started fulfilling that promise right after forming the government," said the Premier.
Tarique Rahman added, "Not only that, standing on this very stage, I said that if BNP comes to power, we will stand by our farmers. To keep our promise we have started delivering Farmer Card to the peasants and fishermen."
Highlighting waiving agricultural loans up to Taka 10,000 with interest the Prime Minister said BNP government completed that task within the first 10 days after assuming office. A total of 12 lakh farmers will enjoy the benefit, he mentioned.
In the meantime even before the rally began, party leaders and activists started arriving at Altafunnesa ground in small processions.
By 3 PM yesterday, the entire venue turned into a human sea. The surrounding roads were also filled with a large number of people including party leaders and workers.
District BNP President and local lawmaker Rezaul Karim Badshah chaired the rally which was moderated by acting General Secretary Mosharraf Hossain, MP.
This was Tarique Rahman's first public rally in Bogura since assuming office as the prime minister. Previously, on January 29, 2026 he had addressed an election rally at the same venue.
Tarique Rahman said BNP is committed to implementing the July Charter thoroughly but some political parties are misleading the people.
"Standing before thousands of people and in front of the media today, I want to clearly say once again that every word and every letter of the July Charter that BNP signed will be implemented, In Sha Allah," he said.
"Despite our repeated clarification, we see some political parties, both inside and outside the parliament, are speaking in a way to mislead the people," he said.
Tarique Rahman said when other political parties did not even dare to utter the word 'reform' in fear of autocracy, BNP floated its 31-point reform agenda before the nation.
"This was because we saw how the health, education, banking, and communication sectors were pushed to the brink of destruction over the last 16 years. There was only looting and corruption in the name of mega projects," he said.
After the country was freed from autocracy on August 5, the interim government formed the Reform Commissions, he said.
Pointing out that BNP placed its transparent proposals on behalf of the people, the premier said, "We always say-whatever we do, we do transparently; there are no secrets. In a democracy, there will be differences of opinion, but our goal is the development of the people."
Tarique Rahman said those people who are currently trying to mislead the people in the name of 'reforms' and the July Charter, they don't speak about women's freedom or women's development.
"They even do not speak about the health commission formed to reach healthcare service to the people," Tarique Rahman commented.
