Published: 12:30 AM, 28 April 2026
Remain alert against confusion over referendum, July Charter: PM
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman speaks at a gathering on Monday noon after launching the re-excavation work of the historic Ulashi Canal in Sharsha upazila in Jashore. -PMO
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday urged the country's people to remain alert against spreading confusion and creating disorder in the country over the referendum and the July Charter, saying that some individuals and political parties are trying to serve their own political interests over the issue.
"Some individuals and political parties are now trying to divert the referendum in a different direction and creating disorder by misleading the country's people," he said.
The premier added: "Everyone must remain alert about those who are trying to divert the verdict of the referendum in a different direction and representing the July Charter in a wrong way for their own political interests".
Tarique Rahman, also ruling BNP Chairman, made the remarks while addressing a brief gathering this noon after launching the re-excavation work of the historic Ulashi Canal in Sharsha upazila, reports BSS.
He said if they are succeed to create chaos in the country for their own political gain, the government's all the programmes undertaken for the people such as Family Card for women, Farmer Card for farmers, canal excavation programmes, initiatives to create employment for unemployed youths, reopening closed mills and factories, programmes to deliver healthcare services to villages, and tree plantation programmes will be disrupted.
He said the people themselves must play a responsible role so that the country's progress is not hindered.
The Prime Minister said, "The July Charter signed by political parties will be fully implemented step by step."
Reminding about the mass uprising of August 5, Tarique Rahman said, "The people have already proven that they do not accept any attempt to ignore their will. Just as the people gave an appropriate response on August 5, they will respond in the same way in the future if anyone tries to play with their fate."
Highlighting various development initiatives of the government, he said, "If these programmes are implemented successfully, positive changes will come in the lives of the country's people."
The Prime Minister called upon the countrymen to turn their 20 crore hands into 40 crore to build the country.
"Today we must take an oath. The 40 crore hands of 20 crore people cannot remain idle. These 40 crore hands must be engaged in building the country and changing the fate of its people," he said.
Tarique Rahman said, "In front of our eyes, many countries in the world have changed their fate over the past 50 years. The condition of Singapore in 1971 was worse than ours, and where have they reached in 50 years? If they can do it, why can't we? InShAllah, we can too. The people of this country can do it."
Noting that BNP does politics for changing the fate of the people, he said, "We have seen since independence that at different times they tried to create unrest, confusion and disorder in the country whenever BNP took programmes for changing the fate of the people."
"We have seen how 173 days of hartal were enforced in the name of movement. You remember how attempts were made to destroy the country's economy for 173 days. Even now that ghost has creeped up on someone else. Brothers and sisters, you must remain alert in this regard," the premier said.
Stating that Bangladesh is the last destination for the leaders and activists of BNP, Tarique Rahman said, "We who belong to Shaheed Zia's party, we who are soldiers of Begum Khaleda Zia, believe that this country is our first and last destination. That is why we say, 'Prothom Bangladesh, Amar Shesh Bangladesh'."
Pointing finger to the Ulashi canal, he said there is no water in this canal because this canal has been closed, filled up and occupied in many places, depriving the people of the opportunity to get benefit from it.
"Today, we have come to re-excavate this canal. Nearly 50 years ago, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman excavated this canal. And if we can re-excavate this nearly four-kilometer canal, people of this area will get water," said the Prime Minister.
If water comes to this canal through the re-excavation, he said, about 20,000 farmers will benefit directly while about 1,400 tonnes of additional crops will be produced and about 72,000 general people will benefit too.
After the re-excavation, the premier said, the government will plant about 3,000 trees along both sides of the canal.
Noting that out of about 20 crore population of Bangladesh, half are women, he said Begum Khaleda Zia made education free for women up to intermediate level.
The education for girls had earlier been made free up to the school level during Begum Zia's first tenure and later extended to the intermediate level, said Tarique Rahman.
"We want to take that programme further forward. We have decided that, InShAllah, we will make education for girls free up to the degree level. Not only that, we will arrange stipends for those girls who achieve good academic results," he added.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain, Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and State Minister Forhad Hossain Azad and State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam spoke at the function with State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit in the chair.
Earlier, the Prime Minister formally inaugurated the Ulashi canal re-excavation programme by cutting soil with a spade around 11:55am and planted a sapling on the bank of the canal.
The Prime Minister arrived at the canal excavation site around 11:42 am and unveiled the plaque of the re-excavation programme and offered a "Munajat" there.
On November 1, 1976, the then President Ziaur Rahman excavated the nearly 4-kilometer-long canal from Ulashi to Jadunathpur at Sharsha upazila in Jashore through voluntary labour, which is known as 'Zia Khal'.
This canal is now being re-excavated by the Bangladesh Water Development Board.
NO ONE WILL BE ALLOWED TO DISTURB PUBLIC PEACE: PM
Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Monday warned that no one will be allowed to disturb the peace and stability in the country.
"Let us remain alert so that no one can create unrest in the country. We will not allow anyone to get the chance to disturb public peace or enforce a 173-day hartal," he said while addressing a public rally at the Jashore Central Eidgah Ground arranged by the district BNP.
The Prime Minister said no attempt will be allowed to mislead the country's people or hold back them through fear or propaganda. "From this rally, we take a pledge that we will change the fate of the country," he said.
Tarique Rahman said his party believes in action, not just promises.
He said BNP also does not want to sell tickets to get public support by resorting to deception like a political party. "We want to do real work."
The Prime Minister also called upon the country's people to work together to build the country.
He said BNP enjoys public trust and has received a mandate in the election. "The people of Bangladesh trust BNP. That is why they gave BNP a mandate in the election. The people have given us the responsibility to implement our commitments," he said.
Tarique Rahman said a group of people do not like this public mandate and have been delivering speeches in different places, claiming that BNP has become a collaborator of fascism.
He urged people to consider who has actually become the collaborators of fascism.
The Prime Minister said his party has clearly taken a position in favour of prosecuting those who indulged in killing during the July-August mass uprising. "But we saw some people saying that after August 5, they will pardon everyone." He said they have recently seen that those who speak loudly in speeches were the same people who went far from Dhaka to hold a meeting with a collaborator of fascism, and when people surrounded the place, they could not explain why they had met them. Tarique Rahman said BNP's priorities include education, healthcare, employment and farmers' welfare.
"Our priority is education for mothers and sisters, healthcare for children, vaccines for them, jobs for unemployed youth, support for farmers, and ensuring medical services for all," he said. The Prime Minister also mentioned plans to expand education, healthcare services, and job creation across the country.
He said BNP has signed the July Charter with political parties and will implement it fully in Parliament. Tarique Rahman urged vigilance against those who are trying to create confusion in the country.
"We must remain alert against those who spread confusion. These same groups had tried to mislead people during different periods of history, including in 1971, 1986 and 2009," he said. The Prime Minister alleged that the same quarter is again trying to create confusion in 2026. "So, we must remain alert as we need to build the country now, move it forward and change the fate of our people." He said the people of Bangladesh want peace, they want prosperity, and they want to live well. "That is why they expect the programmes BNP has taken in favour of the people to be implemented at any cost. The people also want development in their respective areas, and at the same time, they want to see the election pledges made by BNP fulfilled," Tarique Rahman said.
>>Agency
