We want peace in the country: Tarique

Emphasising BNP’s stance over the upcoming election, party Chairman Tarique Rahman has that said they want peace in the country.

“The change that took place in the country on 5 August must reflect the will of the people and ensure a tangible improvement in their lives,” he said.

He made the remarks on Thursday while addressing a public election rally in Rajshahi.

Tarique said the upcoming national election on 12 February is extremely important, as it will determine the future direction of the country.

“We must decide today which way we want to take the country in the coming days,” he told the crowd.

He said the election will decide whether Bangladesh moves forward on the path of democracy or heads in a different direction.

“This decision lies with us,” he added.

Tarique announced that if his party comes to power, agricultural loans of up to Tk10,000—including interest—will be waived for farmers.

Tarique said a Padma Barrage would be constructed in Rajshahi under a BNP-led government to ensure adequate irrigation facilities. He also pledged the establishment of cold storage facilities for mango farmers and the revival of the Barind irrigation project.

Referring to past initiatives, he said canal excavation programmes were first launched under the leadership of late president Ziaur Rahman, while large-scale irrigation projects undertaken during the tenure of former prime minister Khaleda Zia had significantly boosted agricultural production in northern Bangladesh.

He alleged that a major irrigation project centered on the Padma River—with an independent budget of nearly Tk1,000 crore—had been deliberately stalled over the last 16 years, leaving it on the verge of collapse.

“Our goal is to fully revive this historic project and restore it to full operational capacity,” he said.

Assuring farmers in the northern region, the BNP chairman said the irrigation system would not remain limited to Rajshahi alone. “We will ensure that farmers from Rajshahi to Panchagarh benefit from this project,” he added.

He further said increased agricultural production would lead to higher incomes for farmers.

“When farmers smile, Bangladesh smiles. We want irrigation water to reach every corner of the north so that our mothers and sisters engaged in farming can see prosperity,” he said.

Tarique also announced that, alongside family cards for women, all farmers would be provided with agricultural cards. These cards would be used to facilitate access to agricultural loans, fertilisers, seeds, and other farming inputs.

In addition, he pledged to establish a specialised hospital and a vocational training institute in Rajshahi. He said the government would extend full support to agriculture-based industries to strengthen the rural economy.