Editor, Engr. Mohammad Shajibul-Al-Rajib:
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman said that the people of the country have seen on August 5 what the consequences of revenge or retaliation can be. Even if there are differences, they must be reduced through discussion. Differences should not escalate to the level of disagreement.
He said, ‘We have a tough challenge ahead of us. We must keep the democratic process going at any cost. We had problems, we have problems. But we do not want to go back before August 5. So, everyone must forget the differences and work together.’
The BNP chairman said these things during an exchange of views with editors and journalists of national-level media outlets at the Grand Ballroom of Hotel Sheraton in Banani, the capital, on Saturday (January 10, 2026).
Noting that he had visited various places after returning to the country, he said, ‘It seems to him that the new generation is looking for a direction and hope. Not only the new generation, but all generations are expecting guidance. People have a lot of expectations from those who do politics. Even if it is not possible to fulfill all expectations, if politicians work to protect the country’s independence and sovereignty, then it will be possible to take the nation forward on the right path.’
The BNP chairman said, if we can teach those who go abroad from our country for work, the language of that country, if we can train them in the work they are going to do there, then they will be able to do better there.
In response to a female journalist’s question about women’s safety, Tarique Rahman said, ‘Not only women – all men and women need safety.’ He said, about seven thousand people were killed in road accidents last year, which is unusual. He also commented that politicians should think deeply about why such incidents are happening, even if some years are less, some years are more.
At this time, Tarique Rahman presented his plan. BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman tell about his eight-point development plan covering key sectors, promising their implementation if the party comes to power in the upcoming national elections slated for February 2026.
Tarique Rahman’s eight-point plan includes:
Farmer Card — Provision of a safe and reliable card to support farmers with subsidized fertilizer, seeds, pesticides, agricultural machinery, easy loans, crop insurance, fair-price sale of produce, mobile access to market and weather information, agricultural training and support for fish and livestock farmers.
Nationwide Employment — Development of cottage industries and SMEs, low-interest loans, enhanced export opportunities, merit-based government recruitment, creation of 800,000 jobs in the IT sector, international payment gateway, employment for marginalized groups, training and loans for overseas workers and Skill Development & Career Centers in educational institutions.
Family Card — Distribution of a Family Card to every household, providing a monthly allowance of BDT 2,000-2,500 or essential commodities like rice, pulses, oil, and salt, aiming to reduce poverty, hunger, and empower women.
Education Sector Development — ‘One Teacher, One Tab’ initiative, joyful learning, teamwork, moral and social education from Class VI, compulsory technical education at secondary level, mid-day meals, multimedia classrooms, third-language education and inclusion of sports and culture. The plan also includes modernizing technical and vocational education, hands-on training and international standard certification.
Healthcare — Elimination of corruption, recruitment of 100,000 healthcare workers (80% women), primary healthcare in cities, village-level disease prevention, maternal and newborn care, affordable treatment for critical diseases through PPP, free primary care medicine, low-cost cancer medicines, domestic vaccine supply, and year-round mosquito eradication.
Welfare of Khatibs, Imams and Muazzins — Monthly honorarium, festival allowances, skill development training, expansion of mosque-based education programs, strengthening Imam-Muazzin Welfare Trust and similar benefits for heads of places of worship of other religions.
Rivers, Canals, Bils, and Environment — Excavation or re-excavation of 20,000 km of rivers and canals, development of Teesta and Padma Barrage projects, planting 250 million trees over five years, nationwide integrated waste management and production of fuel and organic fertilizer from waste.
Sports Sector Development — Establishing sports as a profession, mandatory sports education from Class IV, scholarships for talented students aged 12-14 through ‘Notun Kuri Sports’, construction of Sports Villages with indoor facilities in all 64 districts, appointment of Upazila Sports Officers, BKSP branches in all divisions, playground expansion and establishment of a sports equipment industry.
He said, one of the ‘plans’ I mentioned after returning home is the family card. There are an average of 40 million families in our country. It is not like we will support a family for life through the family card. We will support that family for 5 to 7 years, whether in terms of money or through essential food items. We have seen that if a woman can be given this support, then she spends it properly for her family.
We have done research and seen that if this support can be given for 5-7 years, then the money that is deposited in her (woman) hands, she spends it mainly for three things: first, for the health of her family, second, for the education of her children and third, she invests the deposited money in small sectors. As a result of such investment, the economy of the village and society will gradually strengthen. In this way, the economy of an upazila and district will be strengthened, he explained.
Tarique Rahman said, I am a worker of a political party. During the election campaign starting from the 22nd, we will all go to the people. If BNP comes to power in the future with the people’s vote, we will solve all the problems of the people, taking everyone’s criticism with us.
Tareq Rahman mentioned that all achievements will be destroyed if the country cannot be taken forward through employment. He highlighted various plans to improve the quality of life of citizens including women, farmers, expatriates and youth.
Earlier, the program began at 11:20 am with the recitation of the Quran by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Tariq Rahman exchanged greetings and good wishes with the journalists present.
Later, in his welcome speech, the BNP Secretary General said, “Today, our leader Tariq Rahman has come to the country from abroad at a difficult time. The dream he has shown us of building this country from afar has made the entire nation much more hopeful today. Their expectation is that after many years, under the leadership of Tariq Rahman, we will be able to build Bangladesh as a liberal democratic state.”
Journalist Rezaul Karim Rony also spoke, saying, “We have been in a fascist system for a long time. Free journalism and fascism cannot coexist. Therefore, we should work as a media outlet.”
Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman said, “During the dictatorship, many journalists were silenced, jailed, and tortured for reporting the truth, but the media could not do much about it at that time, so we have to remain steadfast on the path of truth.”
Teacher and political analyst Jahedur Rahman said, “It is not right that the media will be able to work freely and independently once the elections are held, but we can hope that they believed in a free media during the BNP regime from 2001 to 2006. That is why I want to hope that it will reach a very good place in the future.”
New Age Editor Nurul Kabir said, “I have only one wish for Mr. Tarique Rahman, and that is, I wish him to do whatever he can to contribute to the democratic development of Bangladesh society and the country.”
Kaler Kantho Editor Hasan Hafiz said, “We want a journalist-friendly administration. But we have not gotten that for a long time.” For more than a decade and a half, we have seen many media trials and oil-fueled journalism. We want it to stop.
Editor-in-Chief of bdnews24.com Toufique Imrose Khalidi said, Mr. Tarique Rahman has returned to the country after 17 years, he has some dreams, he has some plans, he said. I will just say that his plan should be implemented.
Manabzamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury said, I knew a certain Tarique Rahman, 23 years ago I interviewed Mr. Tarique Rahman for the first time in electronic journalism. That interview was broadcast on Channel I that day. Today I see him again and he has changed a lot. We want to write freely, we want to speak freely.
Jugantor Editor Abdul Hai Sikder said, The way you want to listen to journalists and exchange views is a very good initiative, I hope it will continue in the future.
Journalist Momtaz Bilkis said, after a long time you came to the country, there were millions of people flocking to see you and listen to you. They want only one thing, you said Bangladesh first. They want to see its implementation.
The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam said, We want democracy, we want independent journalism and we want good governance.
Senior journalist Shafiq Rehman said, “I recently saw a statistic that about 70% of the country’s people are interested in voting for BNP, there is truth in this statement, but this interest needs to be converted into votes.”
Dhaka Stream Editor Iftekhar Mahmud, Inquilab Editor AMM Bahauddin and several journalists from BNP BIT also spoke.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas, Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and other senior party leaders were present at the event.
Editors of national newspapers, radio, television, news agencies and online media were also present.
