BNP’s politics aims to change people’s fate: PM Tarique Rahman

Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Monday said that the central goal of his party’s politics is to improve the living standards of ordinary people by increasing their income and expanding development programmes across the country.

Tarique Rahman made the remarks while addressing a public rally on the bank of the Sahapara Canal in Balrampur on Monday afternoon after inaugurating a nationwide programme to excavate and re-excavate rivers, canals and water bodies.

The programme began with the excavation of the 12-kilometre Sahapara Canal, which is part of a wider initiative covering 53 canals across the country.

The prime minister formally launched the work at around 12:27pm by cutting soil with a spade and later planted a tree sapling on the canal bank.

“If someone earns Tk 5,000 today, we want their income to rise to Tk 10,000 within the next few years. If someone earns Tk 2,000, we will adopt policies that help double that income,” he said.

“This is our political goal. This is the politics of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, this is the politics of Khaleda Zia, and this is the politics of the BNP government elected by you,” he added.

Referring to his election pledges to build a prosperous and developed Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman stressed that development programmes cannot succeed without the support of the people.

“I cannot do this work alone. We need you with us. Without your support, it is impossible to carry out these programmes,” he said, describing citizens as the true owners of the country.

He also urged people to remain vigilant against attempts to create division and instability.

“Some people try to create confusion with sweet words. We must remain alert against those who want to create unrest in the country,” he said.

Highlighting the importance of the canal excavation programme, the prime minister said the initiative would help strengthen agriculture and water management while ensuring economic and social stability.

According to him, once the Sahapara Canal excavation is completed, around 31,000 farmers will receive irrigation water from it. The irrigation facilities will cover nearly 1,200 hectares of farmland, while about 350,000 people will benefit from the water in various ways.

He said improved irrigation is expected to significantly increase crop production in the area.

“The farmers here will be able to produce about 60,000 metric tonnes more crops than the current production, InshaAllah,” he said.

Tarique Rahman noted that Bangladesh has nearly 20 crore people, most of whom live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

“If agriculture survives and farmers remain well, the people of Bangladesh will remain well,” he said, adding that the government has already launched several farmer-friendly initiatives.

He reminded the audience that the government had pledged before the national election to waive agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000, including interest, and that the decision was taken at the first cabinet meeting after forming the government.

The prime minister also pointed out that many canals across the country have gradually been filled up, leading to water shortages during the dry season and floods during the monsoon.

“By excavating canals, we will be able to store excess rainwater during the monsoon and use it later for agriculture,” he said.

The government plans to excavate around 20,000 kilometres of canals across the country over the next five years to improve water management and support agriculture, he added.

Alongside the excavation programme, the government will also undertake a tree plantation initiative. Around 7,000 trees will be planted along the banks of the Sahapara Canal to create greenery and improve the environment.

Tarique Rahman also warned that excessive extraction of groundwater through deep tube wells has caused water levels to fall significantly in many areas.

“Ten years ago water could be found at a depth of about 50 feet, but now in many places it has gone down to nearly 300 feet,” he said, stressing the need to conserve surface water through canal and river excavation.

The prime minister further highlighted several other government initiatives, including the ‘Family Card’ programme, which aims to support four crore families led by women across the country.

He said the pilot project has already distributed Family Cards among about 37,000 women and will gradually expand to other regions, including Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh.

He also announced plans to introduce a ‘Farmer Card’ programme to ensure that small, marginal and medium farmers can access government benefits more easily. A pilot project is expected to be launched soon.

In addition, the government is planning to promote agriculture-based industries in the northern region to create employment opportunities for local youth.

Tarique Rahman said discussions have already been held with major companies involved in agricultural processing and manufacturing.

“After Eid-ul-Fitr, we will sit with these industrial institutions so that agro-based mills and industries can be established in this region,” he said.

Several ministers and local leaders addressed the rally, including LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Social Welfare Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu.

Dinajpur district BNP President Advocate Mofazzal Hossain Dulal presided over the rally, while General Secretary Bakhtiar Ahmed Kachi conducted it.