Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has alleged that those who deceived the people in 1971 also deceived them during the July uprising of 2024.

He made the remarks while addressing a public rally as the chief guest at Madrasa Field in Rajshahi on Tuesday afternoon.

Tarique Rahman said hundreds of people were killed before the authoritarian regime fled the country. A memorial was built in Dhaka to honour those who sacrificed their lives, he said, adding that the BNP upholds the spirit of both 1971 and 2024.

He said the party had stood beside the July uprising fighters, was working to create employment opportunities for the families of those killed and had arranged medical treatment for injured fighters.

According to the prime minister, all political parties that claimed to uphold the spirit of 2024 had been invited to the inauguration of the memorial. However, representatives of some of those parties were absent from the event.

He alleged that certain political groups had misled the people both in 1971 and during the July uprising.

Allegations of attempts to create unrest

The prime minister alleged that efforts were underway to create instability in Bangladesh by supplying money from across the border.

Citing intelligence information, he claimed that the ousted authoritarian regime was providing funds to people attempting to instigate unrest inside the country. He also referred to alleged attempts to create labour unrest at several factories.

Tarique Rahman urged the public to remain alert, alleging that a group was financing efforts to destabilise the country while another group was working to create unrest locally.

He also criticised political groups that had opposed the government’s Family Card, canal excavation and agricultural card initiatives, saying the public would ultimately be affected if development programmes were disrupted.

Agricultural cards for 4 million farmers this year

The prime minister announced that 4 million farmers would receive agricultural cards this year.

He said the cards would gradually provide farmers with access to agricultural inputs, including fertilisers and seeds, crop insurance, easier bank loans and weather information to help them make decisions about sowing and fertiliser application.

Tarique Rahman said the government had fulfilled its election pledge by waiving agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000, including interest, for 1.3 million farmers within seven days of forming the government.

He added that incentives had been introduced to reduce the production burden on sugarcane farmers, stressing that the country’s agricultural sector and farmers must survive for the country to prosper.

20,000 kilometres of canals to be excavated

The prime minister said the government planned to excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals across the country over the next five years to improve irrigation facilities.

According to him, 800 kilometres of canals had already been excavated over the preceding eight months. The initiative is expected to improve irrigation and help replenish groundwater reserves.

He also announced plans to construct barrages on the Padma and Teesta rivers to address water shortages. He said the government would pursue Bangladesh’s fair share of river water while taking steps to complete the barrage projects as quickly as possible.

Upazila hospitals to be upgraded to 150 beds

Tarique Rahman announced that the bed capacity of every upazila health complex would be increased from 50 to 150 to improve healthcare services in rural areas.

He said separate beds would be arranged for children and women, while dialysis facilities would be introduced for kidney patients to reduce the need for long-distance travel for treatment.

He also said reduced taxes on medical equipment had lowered the cost of certain equipment used by heart patients. Equipment that previously cost Tk 120,000 can now be obtained for approximately Tk 60,000 to Tk 65,000, he added.

Initiative to reopen 46 closed factories

The prime minister said the government was encouraging entrepreneurs and businesspeople to reopen closed mills and factories to create employment opportunities.

According to him, six closed industrial units had already been handed over to entrepreneurs for reopening, while initiatives were underway to restart approximately 46 closed factories nationwide by December.

He said the government was working to improve security, reduce unemployment and encourage domestic and foreign investment.

However, he alleged that some political parties were attempting to disrupt development activities by creating disorder on the streets.

Free education for women up to honours level

Tarique Rahman announced that the BNP government had decided to provide free education for women up to the honours level. Scholarships would also be arranged for students who performed well academically, he said.

He also highlighted plans to provide monthly financial assistance to families through the Family Card programme.

According to the prime minister, the assistance would help families provide nutritious food for their children, meet essential expenses and make small investments.

He called for unity to ensure that the process of improving people’s living standards was not obstructed.

“No one from abroad will come and build our country for us. We must build it ourselves through hard work,” he said, referring to the collective efforts of the country’s 200 million people.

Tk 120 million in incentives for 38,970 sugarcane farmers

At the beginning of the rally, the prime minister launched the distribution of Tk 120 million in incentives for 38,970 sugarcane farmers.

He initiated the programme by pressing a button on a laptop from the rally stage, after which the money was transferred to the farmers’ bank accounts.

He subsequently handed symbolic cheques to 15 farmers representing 15 sugar mill zones across the country.

The rally was chaired by BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and moderated by Rajshahi City Corporation Administrator Mahfuzur Rahman Riton.

Among those who addressed the gathering were BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy; Land Minister Mizanur Rahman Minu; Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir; Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury; lawmakers Abu Saeed Chand, Professor Nazrul Islam Mondal and Shafiqul Haque Milon; Dhaka District BNP General Secretary Nipুণ Roy Chowdhury; and Major General (Retd.) Sharif Uddin, an adviser to the BNP chairman.

Also present were State Minister for Local Government Mir Shah-e-Alam; adviser Rehan Asif Asad, responsible for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Science and Technology; BNP Industry Affairs Secretary Abul Kalam; reserved-seat lawmaker Mahmuda Habiba; and Krishak Dal President Agriculturist Hasan Jafir Tuhin, among others.