'In last 16 years, did you see them on the streets?'
BNP chairman Tarique Rahman today said a party had stayed away from public movements and protests over the past 16 years, but had all along been secretly aligned with those who have fled the country.
“Over the last 16 years, did you see them anywhere on the streets or in movements? Did you see them in protests? They were nowhere. But secretly, they were with them all the time. Now they have started new conspiracies again. That is why you must keep your eyes and ears open, so that they cannot move your votes here and there,” said Tarique.
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He made the remarks while addressing an election rally at the Etim ground in Naogaon district.
Recalling past elections, Tarique said, “You must guard the ballot boxes. Do you remember what happened in 2008? In 2008, that magic happened… one moment the box was empty, the next moment it was full. You remember, right? So, you must be careful.”
Addressing voters in Naogaon and Joypurhat, Tarique said over the last 16 years, there has been no development in the areas.
“Yes, there were some big flyovers and tall buildings in Dhaka and a few other cities. There were mega projects. But mega projects also meant mega corruption,” he said.
“We want to change the fate of people living in villages. We want to change the fate of district towns. We want to change the fate of upazila towns. We want to ensure education for our students. We want to make our women and mothers self-reliant. We want to create jobs for unemployed youth. We want to create a safe situation where people can walk safely, do business safely, and sleep safely at night,” he said.
Tarique also urged voters to ensure the victory of the sheaf of paddy to meet demands, including railway connectivity in Naogaon and special facilities for entrepreneurs to establish cold storage industries for agricultural products.
Earlier in the afternoon, he addressed a rally at the Madrasa ground in Rajshahi before travelling by road to Naogaon, where he arrived at around 6:10pm.
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