PM accuses political party of tarnishing Bangladesh`s image

Photo: Collected

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday accused a political party and its leaders and activists of tarnishing Bangladesh's reputation at home and abroad, asserting that they were engaged in conduct that disqualified them from lecturing others, as he inaugurated the first phase of the Muhuri-Kahua flood control project in Feni.

Speaking at Ghatghar in Parshuram, the prime minister alleged that the party had reverted to the role it played in 1971 and accused its members of involvement in violence against women and killings. Consequently, he urged BNP leaders and supporters to expose what he termed the party's "mask". Turning to his government's policy pledges, Tarique said all upazila health complexes would be upgraded to 150 beds during its five-year tenure, with dialysis facilities for kidney patients to be introduced at those centres. Moreover, he said agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000 had been waived, benefiting around 1.3 million farmers, at a cost to the exchequer of about Tk 1,500 crore.

The prime minister also contended that the Muhuri-Kahua project would shield people in the greater Noakhali region from flooding and bring an additional 34,000 hectares of farmland under cultivation, potentially boosting crop output by about 100,000 metric tonnes. Furthermore, he announced that Family Cards and Farmer Cards would be distributed in Feni and that honorariums would be provided to imams, muezzins, khadims, priests and other religious service providers, alongside tree-planting and other development programmes.

Meanwhile, the Tk 1,542.16-crore project encompasses the rehabilitation of embankments, the protection of riverbanks and the re-excavation of rivers and water bodies, with completion targeted for 2030. Nevertheless, the prime minister's pointed remarks about an unnamed party are likely to draw a sharp political response, and the rival camp's reaction will determine whether the exchange escalates.

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