Convincing the Crowd: Tarique Terms Voter Trust His ‘Engineering’

Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman, has said that bringing people to his party’s side and earning their trust was the true “engineering” behind their electoral success—and that they succeeded in doing so.

Speaking at a post-election press conference held on Saturday afternoon, February 14, at InterContinental Dhaka, Tarique Rahman responded to a question about whether any form of “engineering” had been necessary to secure victory.

“Convincing the people is our engineering,” he said. “Our engineering was to bring the people to our side. Alhamdulillah, we have been successful in that.”

Earlier, following the February 12 13th parliamentary election in which BNP secured more than a two-thirds majority of seats, Tarique Rahman faced both local and international journalists at the same venue.

Responding to a question about how challenging the election had been for BNP and whether any ‘engineering’ had been required to win, he remarked that ensuring a fair and positive environment by convincing the public had been the difficult part. “To achieve any good goal, there will naturally be hardship,” he added.

During the press conference, journalists from home and abroad raised questions on BNP’s foreign policy stance, economic recovery plans, and other national issues. Reporters from India and China showed particular interest in foreign policy matters.

When asked by a foreign journalist how much importance BNP would give to the youth, Tarique Rahman said the party would certainly listen to young people, but it must consider all segments of society. “In our manifesto, we have spoken about everyone—youth, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and women,” he noted.

A journalist from the British newspaper Financial Times asked about BNP’s plans to revive the fragile economy. Tarique Rahman responded that they intend to attract more business and create new employment opportunities.

Channel 24 journalist Zahirul Alam questioned what steps the new government would take against the alleged creation of oligarchs and economic damage during the previous administration. Tarique Rahman said a democratic economy would be established where everyone could engage in business and trade based on merit and competence, without favoritism toward any particular group.

In response to a question regarding future Bangladesh-China relations and the Belt and Road Initiative, he said BNP would safeguard Bangladesh’s national interests and avoid any initiative not aligned with those interests. If the Belt and Road Initiative proves beneficial to the country’s economy, a decision would be made accordingly.

An Indian journalist, Ashok Raj, inquired about Bangladesh-India relations. Tarique Rahman replied that BNP’s foreign policy would prioritize the interests of Bangladesh and its people.

Answering a question from a reporter of Geo News, he noted that Bangladesh had been the initiator of SAARC and expressed BNP’s intention to pursue its revitalization after forming the government, in consultation with neighboring states.

A journalist from Al Jazeera asked about the main challenges BNP would face after forming the government. Tarique Rahman cited economic recovery, maintaining law and order, and ensuring good governance. He alleged that the previous government had politicized nearly all institutions, and emphasized the need to restore institutional integrity.

At one point, Alisha Rahman Sarkar of The Independent asked how BNP would maintain a balance in relations with India, Pakistan, and China. She also inquired whether a BNP government would proceed with ongoing corruption cases against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her niece, UK MP Tulip Siddiq.

Tarique Rahman passed the microphone to BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, who responded that BNP’s foreign policy would be equally applicable to all countries and would not revolve around any specific nation.

Earlier in the conference, Tarique Rahman delivered a prepared statement in English, followed by remarks in Bangla. He later answered various questions from journalists. He also congratulated all parties that participated in the 13th National Parliament election, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizen Party, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh.

In his remarks, he acknowledged the country’s fragile economic condition and weak law-and-order situation as pressing challenges requiring immediate attention, and called for cooperation from all.

In his written statement, Tarique Rahman said that the people of Bangladesh had once again given the mandate to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party—founded by the proclaimer of independence—to govern the country. He emphasized that the trust and love shown by the people must now be repaid through tireless efforts to improve their quality of life. “We must continue to work in unity,” he said.

DBTech/SM/IK/OR