BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman today called upon the people to cast their votes in favour of ‘Paddy Sheaf’ in the February 12 national election saying victory of ‘Paddy Sheaf’ means victory of Bangladesh.
“February 12 is the day to restore people’s rights in state and government. I humbly appeal to all students, workers, farmers, professionals, mothers, sisters, brothers to vote for the Sheaf of Paddy,” he said in a televised speech to the nation this evening on the eve of 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and referendum-2026.
Tarique Rahman added: “Victory of the Sheaf of Paddy means a free, sovereign, and independent Bangladesh.”
He said Bangladesh is home to people of all faiths. “We believe religion is personal; the state belongs to all. Every citizen—Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, believer or non-believer—must feel safe,” said BNP chairman.
He said the people of Bangladesh have never accepted dictatorship, extremism, or authoritarianism.
“United by Bangladeshi nationalism, beyond party, religion, or ethnicity, this Bangladesh belongs to all of us,” he said.
“BNP has governed before. President Ziaur Rahman built a self-reliant Bangladesh and sacrificed his life for the country. Begum Khaleda Zia endured imprisonment and oppression but never compromised on the issue of Bangladesh’s interests,” he said.
The BNP chairman said if BNP is voted to power again through this election, it will build a safe and prosperous Bangladesh for all.
In the past, he said, perhaps in some cases there were unintended mistakes and shortcomings while governing.
"Learning from past mistakes to build a safe Bangladesh for the present and future generations, I again seek your support in the national election on February 12," he said.
Tarique Rahman said there is no alternative to strictly controlling corruption, establishing the rule of law, and ensuring accountability of the state and government to the people to implement any plan.
"If we receive your support to run the state, the future government will be accountable to the people. BNP government will be as strict as possible in controlling corruption, Insha`Allah. The rule of law will be re-established in the country. This is my commitment to you and this is BNP`s commitment," he said.
About BNP`s plan for the youths, he said with the goal of eliminating unemployment, comprehensive reforms of the country`s economic sectors-including banks, insurance, and the capital market-revitalizing region-based economies, and increasing domestic and foreign investment in industry and trade, a target has been set to create 10 million jobs at home and abroad.
The BNP chairman said several sectors have been specially identified, and strategies and mechanisms have been determined to create new employment to achieve this target in phases.
As part of this, through nationwide technical and practical education, the unemployed population will be transformed into skilled manpower, he said adding free skills development, freelancing, and outsourcing training will be provided at colleges, madrasas, and universities, so that unemployed youths can prepare for high-paying jobs at home and abroad and directly engage in employment.
According to various statistics, the number of unemployed people in the country currently exceeds 2.7 million, he said adding among them, about 900,000 are highly educated unemployed graduates.
Approximately 22 percent of them are youths who are not engaged in any education, job, or training. Most of this large number of unemployed are between the ages of 15 and 29, he said.
He pledged to provide special financial allowances for educated youths-from six months up to a maximum of one year, or until employment is obtained.
"We believe this unemployment allowance may help an educated unemployed person gain the capacity to initiate employment creation," he said.
Noting that nearly 15 million expatriate Bangladeshis live in various countries around the world, he said in terms of foreign income, after the garment sector, expatriate Bangladeshis contribute the most.
But expatriates have long had complaints regarding facilities, respect, and evaluation in the country, he said, “To ensure respect, facilities, protection, and rights for expatriates at home and abroad, we have taken a plan to introduce an Expatriate Card (Prabashi Card) this time”.
Through this card, expatriates will enjoy benefits including protection of economic investment in the country and prevention of harassment at airports, he said adding if skilled Bangladeshi workers receive job offers abroad, they do not have to sell their land or property to go abroad.
“We have plans to provide them with easy loans at the state level,” he said.
Mentioning that there are nearly 40 million families in the country, he said, “If you entrust BNP with the responsibility of running the state, we have made a final decision to issue a Family Card for every family in the country for the first time. The Family Card will be issued in the name of the female head of the family.”
In the first phase, however, to protect economically backward, marginal, and low-income families, a monthly assistance of 2,500 taka or equivalent essential food support will be provided through the Family Card, he said.
Tarique Rahman said the amount of financial assistance through the Family Card will be increased gradually based on need and reality. We consider the Family Card a symbol of women’s economic empowerment.
He said although various sectors of the economy have expanded over time, the country’s economy is still primarily agriculture-based.
“BNP believes that protecting farmers’ interests means protecting the country’s interests. That is why we say: if farmers survive, the country survives. From this realization, we have taken the initiative to issue a Farmers’ Card to protect farmers’ interests,” he said.
The BNP Chairman said through this card, farmers will receive up-to-date agricultural information, and on the other hand, they will receive financial and other necessary assistance from the government.
About BNP’s plan for health sector, he said they want to introduce the principle “prevention is better than cure” to deliver healthcare services to people’s doorsteps.
“To this end, we have taken a plan to recruit 100,000 healthcare workers across the country after providing primary health and medical training. Eighty percent of these healthcare workers will be women. At the union level, these healthcare workers will go door to door and provide primary treatment and advice. We believe that with correct advice at the initial stage, many diseases can be cured early,” he said.
Tarique Rahman said the present world of science and information technology has moved another step forward and entered the age of artificial intelligence.
By identifying ICT as one of the country’s thrust sectors, BNP has finalized policies to provide state support to the information technology sector, including freelancing and outsourcing, he said.
About the corruption, he said during the fascist regime, 16 billion dollars were siphoned off from the country every year.
If corruption, money laundering, and waste are prevented, it is not impossible to mobilize funds to implement positive initiatives such as the Family Card, Farmers’ Card, or unemployment allowance, he said.
“Only political will is required. BNP has that political will to fulfill commitments in the public interest,” he said.
He said Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman inserted the phrase “full faith and belief in Almighty Allah” into the Constitution.
“But the subservient government removed this phrase from the Constitution. If BNP again gets the responsibility to run the state through the people’s verdict in the 12 February election, the phrase “full faith and belief in Almighty Allah” will be reinserted into the Constitution, Insha’Allah,” he said.
“If I receive your support on February 12, BNP’s core principle in running the state will be justice and righteousness based on the great ideals of the Prophet,” he said.
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