Staff Reporter:
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan said on Friday that the history of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is almost synonymous with the history of Bangladesh.
He said the Bangladeshi nationalism introduced by BNP founder and late president Ziaur Rahman advocates the rights and dignity of all people regardless of religion, caste or ethnicity.
“Embracing this ideology, the BNP has been moving forward politically for the past 48 years,” he said.
Moyeen Khan made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion organised at the Bangladesh Handloom Education and Training Institute auditorium in Narsingdi on Friday to mark the 48th founding anniversary of the BNP.
Narsingdi-1 MP Khairul Kabir Khokon chaired the programme, which was attended by MPs elected from different constituencies in the district.
The local government minister said Ziaur Rahman had introduced a politics of production and development to the country’s economy.
He said initiatives were taken during Ziaur Rahman’s tenure to liberalise the economy and promote the growth of the readymade garment industry and overseas employment.
“These sectors are now among the main pillars of Bangladesh’s economy,” he said.
Moyeen Khan also credited Ziaur Rahman with playing an important role in establishing the rights of women and children and strengthening Bangladesh’s position internationally.
Recalling the contributions of late Abdul Momen Khan, a founding member of the BNP and a son of Narsingdi, the minister said he had played an important role in building the party’s early organisational foundation.
The BNP’s organisational activities in Narsingdi also expanded under his leadership, he said.
Referring to former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s political struggle, Moyeen Khan said she had led movements against autocracy for a long period.
He said Khaleda Zia became the country’s first female prime minister after being elected by the people and went on to serve as prime minister three times.
“The BNP does not believe in the politics of revenge. We believe in establishing justice, democracy and people’s rights,” he said.
Moyeen Khan urged party leaders and activists to convey the BNP’s 48-year history and the political ideals of its founder Ziaur Rahman to the younger generation.
