All must join hands to maintain law and order: BNP’s Tarique Rahman after return to Bangladesh
Dhaka (PTI): Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday called on countrymen to join hands to maintain law and order, in his first address to party supporters hours after his arrival in Dhaka after a gap of 17 years.
“Whatever political party we belong to, whatever religion we believe in, whether we are non-partisan individuals -- all must join hands to maintain law and order,” he told thousands of party supporters gathered at the July 36 Expressway in the capital, where he went straight after arriving at the airport.
Rahman's call for maintaining law and order came amid a fresh wave of unrest and political instability gripping Bangladesh following the killing of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was a prominent face in last year's mass protests that forced the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government.
ALSO READ: Christmas carol clash leaves several injured in Kerala''s Alappuzha
Rahman, the 60-year-old son of ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has emerged as a leading contender for prime ministership in the polls.
Referring to a popular quote from US civil rights activist Martin Luther King “I Have a dream”, Rahman said, “I have a plan for the people of my country and for my country,” state-owned Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported.
“This plan is for the interest of the people, for the development of the country, for changing the lot of the country. To implement the plan, I need the support of all the people of the country. If you stand beside us, God willing, we will be able to implement my plan,” Rahman added.
He said he wants to make a safe Bangladesh where people irrespective of castes, creeds and faiths, can live in a peaceful environment, the report said.
“We have people from the hills and the plains in this country – Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. We want to build a safe Bangladesh, where every woman, man and child can leave home safely and return safely,” he said.
Rahman’s call for unity came as Jamaat-e-Islami, the BNP's coalition partner during its 2001-2006 tenure in power, has emerged as its main rival in the upcoming polls after the interim government blocked Awami League's participation under the country's tough Anti-Terrorism Act.
Referring to the 1971 liberation war, Rahman said, “Our loving motherland was achieved through the blood of lakhs of martyrs in the 1971 Liberation War,” he said.
He also recalled the Sepoy-People's Revolution of November 7, 1975, the 1990 anti-autocracy movement, and the uprising of August 5, 2024, as struggles to protect the country’s freedom and sovereignty, the report said.
ALSO READ: Unnao rape case: Plea filed in SC against suspension of Sengar's jail term
"In 2024, the students and masses all walks of life protected the independence and sovereignty of this country on that day," he said.
He said the people of Bangladesh now want to regain their democratic rights and right to speak.
Rahman also urged people to pray for her ailing mother and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, whom he was going to meet at the Evercare hospital in Dhaka after leaving the venue.
Zia, a three-time prime minister, has been undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital.
BNP emerged as the forerunner to capture power in the February polls, as former prime minister Hasina's Awami League party has been barred from contesting the election.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
PM Tarique Rahman vows to turn B'desh into safe land for people of all faiths
Dhaka (PTI): Bangladesh's newly-elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday vowed to strengthen the rule of law and said his government will turn the country into a safe land for people of all faiths, regardless of party, opinion, religion, or ethnicity.
In his maiden televised address to the nation after assuming office, Rahman outlined his government's priorities and said that improving the law and order situation and strictly controlling corruption to restore peace and security are his top priorities.
"We want to turn this country into a safe land for every citizen. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians -- regardless of party, opinion, religion, or ethnicity -- whether living in the hills or the plains, this country belongs to all of us,” said the prime minister , who is also the chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
"Whether you voted for BNP, or did not vote for BNP, or did not vote at all -- everyone has equal rights over this government...As a Bangladeshi, every one of us has equal rights in this country, in this state," he asserted.
The Hindu population in Bangladesh has been affected by a series of incidents against minority communities in the country after the ouster of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
Under the interim government of Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, Bangladesh experienced a rise in mob violence, extrajudicial killings and attacks on minority communities, especially Hindus.
Rights group Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF) said that in January 2026 alone, they documented 21 incidents of lynching and 28 incidents of mob beatings.
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported 522 communal attacks in 2025, including killings, rapes, and temple vandalism, with murders of 116 people of minority faiths, mostly Hindus, between June 2025 and January 2026.
The reports suggested leaders and activists of the Awami League, disbanded by the Yunus’ regime, were the victims of most attacks.
India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.
Earlier, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the senior-most minister in the new government, said that the law and order issue was one of three priorities and the administration would take steps to end "mob violence".
Alamgir, who is also the party's secretary general and entrusted with the charge of the local government ministry, said, “This (mob violence) will be controlled."
"We must strive to improve the law and order situation, regardless of how much it has deteriorated," he added.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed also said, "The mob culture in no way can be tolerated."
In his address, Rahman said every constitutional, governmental, and non-governmental institution will operate according to established laws and regulations.
“Not party or political influence or force, but the rule of law will be the final word in governing the state,” he said.
He said establishing a self-reliant, secure, humane, and democratic Bangladesh is the goal of his party's government.
Rahman also said the new government has begun its journey amid a fragile economy battered by corruption and misrule, a weak governance structure, and a deteriorating law and order situation.
He also extended his greetings to the people on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.
On the supply of gas, water, and electricity during the month of Ramadan, Rahman said he has already instructed the authorities concerned to ensure the civic amenities during iftar, tarawih, and sehri times.
Referring to his previous pledge that if the BNP was voted to power, the government would follow the ideal of justice of the Holy Prophet, he said, "I believe that this decision of the BNP parliamentary party reflects that very ideal of justice".
Rahman, 60, was sworn in as the 11th prime minister on Tuesday after leading his party to a forceful victory in the 13th Parliamentary polls held on February 12. He replaced interim government chief Yunus.
Rahman, the son of late President Ziaur Rahman and former premier Khaleda Zia, returned home in December after living in London in self-exile for 17 years.
Along with Rahman, 25 ministers and 24 state ministers also took the oath of office on Tuesday.
