Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today stressed maintaining unity among the political parties that took part in the joint anti-fascist movement along with BNP in the last 17 years to fulfil the aspirations of the country's people. 'We were together in the past, we are together and we will remain together. There is no reason for us to part ways. So, let us all work together in the days ahead to fulfil the expectations of the people,' he said.
Unity and Patience
Addressing the alliance leaders, Tarique Rahman said, 'As your younger brother, I would say that all of us have to remain patient because the expectations of the people from us are immense. Let us first identify those expectations and work together to fulfil them. There may be differences of opinion among us on some areas while doing so, but there is no division among us. There is no room for misunderstanding.'
Commitment to Reforms
The premier highlighted the 31-point state reform agenda, stating, 'You will surely remember that we, many political parties, sat together and presented the 31-point for state reform before the people of Bangladesh. When we unveiled it, many other political parties spoke loudly about reforms. But at that time, we did not hear them say anything specific about reform. Yet those of us gathered under this tent today stood together and presented the reform proposals ignoring the intimidation of the authoritarian regime.'
'So, as a political worker, I believe that the 31-point agenda we jointly drafted has received the mandate of the people of Bangladesh. It has now become the people's own 31-point agenda. Therefore, we, all like-minded forces, must work together to implement it,' Tarique Rahman added.
Cautious of 'Hidden Forces'
Pointing finger at a particular political party, Tarique Rahman said, 'We were on the streets throughout the movement and the struggle. Yet today many are trying to claim ownership of that struggle. I do not wish to name them. But if one simply uses the word 'Gupta (Hidden)', common people immediately understand who they are.'
'During the anti-fascist movement, we searched for them many times but could not find them on the streets. Instead, we saw them in different ways alongside those who later fled the country. However, after the autocratic ruler was ousted on August 5, this hidden group gradually emerged. So, let us remain united to protect the country from these Gupta (hidden forces) and preserve the trust that the people have placed in us,' he said.
