Pick Candidates Who Are Acceptable and Can Win in Local Polls: Tarique Rahman's Directive in Chattogram

With the upcoming local government elections in sight, BNP chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has given Chattogram's BNP leaders several clear messages. He has directed leaders and activists to pick candidates who are acceptable to the people and capable of winning votes. The prime minister also assured that the government will not interfere in the elections.

Tarique Rahman gave these directives in his speech as chief guest at a BNP organisational meeting at the Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View hotel in Chattogram on Tuesday night (20 October). The meeting was chaired by city BNP convener Ershad Ullah and conducted by the organisation's member secretary, Nazimur Rahman.

More than 450 leaders and activists of the Chattogram city, north and south district BNP units and their affiliated organisations took part. The gathering was therefore more than an organisational meeting; ahead of the local elections, it turned into a major assembly of the party's preparations in the Chattogram region.

On the local government elections, Tarique Rahman said the present government will not interfere the way the past fascist government did. Leaders and activists must therefore unite and choose candidates who are acceptable to the people and able to win the vote.

Speaking to leaders present at the meeting, it was learned that the prime minister's message was to give importance not just to party identity but also to public support and the ability to win when selecting candidates. The need for unity and coordination among leaders before finalising candidates at the local level also came to the fore.

With the local government elections ahead, retaining public support and choosing acceptable leadership at the local level have become important for the BNP. Tarique Rahman's message was to avoid internal divisions and finalise candidates in unity — so that disagreements over candidates do not harm the party at the grassroots.

On law and order, too, the prime minister directed leaders and activists to play a responsible role. Party sources said he asked them to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, together with respected members of society.

In Tarique Rahman's words, if everyone performs their own duty properly, 50 percent of crime will fall. Leaders and activists themselves must not be involved in any crime either — and he warned there will be no leniency in this regard.

At the same time, the prime minister stressed presenting the government's good work to the people. In other words, grassroots leaders and activists have been asked not only to do organisational work but also to take responsibility for putting the government's activities before the public.

Earlier, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in Chattogram on Tuesday evening to visit puja pavilions for Sharodiya Durga Puja and exchange greetings with members of the Hindu community. He landed at Shah Amanat International Airport from Rajshahi on a military aircraft at 7.40pm.

From the airport he visited the JM Sen Hall puja pavilion at Rahmatganj in the city and exchanged greetings with the Hindu community, before joining the BNP organisational meeting. Crowds of leaders, activists and curious onlookers gathered outside JM Sen Hall and the Radisson Blu hotel for the prime minister's arrival. He left Chattogram the same night.

After taking oath as prime minister, Tarique Rahman first visited Chattogram on 9 August. On that trip he joined programmes in Banshkhali, Fatikchhari, Hathazari and Chattogram city. On this visit, his message on candidate selection for the local elections was the most significant — it now remains to be seen how far grassroots leaders can unite in finalising candidates accordingly.