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Hours earlier the decision of run for the 13th nationalist election, leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) delivered nationally telecast speeches and claimed the communal legacies of the Liberation War of 1971 and the anti-Hasina uprising of July 2024, and pledged to acceptable Bangladesh connected way for economical development.
Jamaat-e-Islami main Shafiqur Rahman said the ruling elite of Bangladesh had turned against radical aft erstwhile elections and urged voters to enactment his enactment this time. In a elaborate code focused connected improvement agenda, BNP president Tarique Rahman sought forgiveness for immoderate mistakes that his enactment mightiness person committed during its past governance stints.
Mr. Rahman paid tributes to the sacrifices of 1971 and the anti-Hasina conflict of 2024. The notation of 1971 successful Mr. Rahman’s code has drawn attraction arsenic the radical is known for being supportive of Pakistan during the Liberation War of 1971. Speaking to The Hindu, a spokesperson of Jamaat for the planetary media clarified the party’s existent presumption connected the warfare of 1971 and said that Jamaat wishes to “own” some the “spirits of 1971 and 2024”.
“The main contented of 2024 was favoritism by a authorities against our radical and the main occupation of 1971 was besides favoritism by Pakistan against the radical of Bangladesh. That is wherefore we privation to ain some the legacies,” said Mohammed Fakhrul Islam, spokesperson for planetary media and subordinate of the Central Election Committee of Jamaat.
Mr. Islam added that the enactment wishes to convey that it wants to prosecute each sides and crook a caller leafage successful nationalist politics. The bequest of 1971 had been a constituent of contention betwixt JeI and the BNP with the second reminding Jamaat that its cadre had participated successful killings that were orchestrated by the Pakistani military. Tarique Rahman had successful December 2025 reminded that JeI had opposed the instauration of Bangladesh.
In his nationally telecast code connected Monday (February 9, 2026), Tarique Rahman besides referred to the BNP’s laminitis Gen. Ziaur Rahman’s role successful the warfare of 1971, arsenic good arsenic his relation successful handling Bangladesh aft the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and different nationalist leaders successful 1975, and highlighted his party’s relation successful bringing down the subject regularisation of Hossein Mohammed Ershad successful 1990 and the anti-Sheikh Hasina uprising successful July-August 2024.
Countering the mostly orthodox cognition of JeI connected sex issues, the enactment main promised that women volition beryllium successful starring positions if his enactment is elected to power. However, Tarique Rahman made respective elaborate presumption that volition beryllium beneficial for the women of Bangladesh. In the speech, the BNP main said his enactment volition name 1 lakh healthcare professionals and that retired of the full fig of those appointments, astatine slightest 40% volition beryllium women.
He besides reiterated his pledge to marque Bangladesh harmless for each citizens including its women. He highlighted projects that will payment students, farmers and women and promised that if elected, his enactment volition enact authorities to woody with cyber bullying and unit that people women. “With your support, the BNP had shouldered the work of governance much than erstwhile successful the past. We mightiness person committed mistakes unwillingly during that time. For that I explicit my sincere regrets to the radical of my country,” said Tarique Rahman.
