Sylhet, Jan 22 (V7N) — BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday said that heaven and hell belong only to Allah, and no individual has the authority to distribute what belongs to the Almighty. He accused certain groups of misleading voters before the election by claiming powers that do not belong to them.

He made the remarks while addressing a rally at Alia Madrasa Ground in Sylhet on Thursday afternoon, officially marking the start of the BNP’s election campaign, where he attended as the chief guest.

Tarique Rahman said that some people are attempting to deceive the public by making false claims, which he described as contradictory to religious beliefs. Calling for unity, he urged the people to stand together against what he termed falsehood, stubbornness and deception.

Referring to history, he said the people of Bangladesh have already witnessed the roles played by various political forces during the 1971 Liberation War and urged voters to judge parties based on their past actions.

He further alleged that the people’s right to vote had been taken away through repeated dummy and sham elections. He compared the mass uprising of students and the public on August 5, 2024, which led to political change, to the significance of the country’s independence in 1971.

Highlighting BNP’s past initiatives, Tarique Rahman said that free education for women was introduced during the tenure of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. He pledged that if BNP forms the government, the party would introduce family cards to help make poor and middle-class families self-reliant and create employment opportunities for unemployed youth.

He also alleged that conspiracies are still ongoing and claimed that incidents of postal ballot manipulation had occurred in various countries, including in the Middle East.

Reiterating BNP’s future vision, Tarique Rahman said the party aims to make every citizen self-reliant through responsible governance. He called on voters to cast their ballots in favor of the BNP’s “sheaf of paddy” symbol.

Earlier, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in his opening speech, alleged that a political party was spreading false propaganda and slander against BNP leaders, including Tarique Rahman. He said the election is a struggle against efforts to mislead the people.

Mirza Fakhrul added,

“By making Tarique Rahman the Prime Minister, we will truly build a democratic, happy and prosperous Bangladesh.”

END/SMA/AJ