Acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman stated on Tuesday that the creation of new political organizations is perfectly acceptable since in the end, the people will determine who candidates to back.

“If someone feels that more new political parties are necessary for a secure and thriving Bangladesh, then that person is correct. The public will ultimately determine whether they will support or not, he said.

Speaking virtually to a sizable gathering, he added that the BNP has continuously prioritized securing the people’s right to vote.

BNP arranged the rally in front of its Nayapaltan central office, marking the International Day of Democracy. Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir presided over the rally.

Tarique Rahman said BNP believes that the people’s direct partnership with the state, politics and political settlement is created only through free and fair elections.

Noting that there are currently around 125 million voters in the country, he said some 25 million voters were included in the electoral rolls since 2009, but the young voters did not get a chance to vote even in a single national election.

“They (the fresh voters) could not elect their desired public representatives by exercising their right to franchise. They also didn’t get the chance to be elected and represent the people,” he said.

The BNP acting chairman said his party thinks that it is not possible to build a discrimination-free humane state by leaving out the women who are half of the country’s population, and the youths who are a large chunk of the population.

“No matter what is in the constitution or provision, if the political and economic empowerment of the people is not ensured and if the people are not involved in the reform process, no reform programme will finally yield effective results,” he said.

Tarique said the BNP announced a 31-point reform proposal with the presence of representatives from pro-democratic parties in 2023. “But the announced 31 points are not the final word.

He said BNP believes that reform in any field of state or politics is a continuous and ongoing process. So, BNP also welcomes further necessary changes and revisions of the 31-point reform proposal announced by BNP for the state and political reform,” said Tarique.

He reiterated that only a free and fair election can guarantee the political empowerment of the people.

He emphasised that to get such an election, reforms must be implemented in the Election Commission, public administration, and law enforcement agencies to enhance their effectiveness.

The BNP Acting Chairman also said these reforms should be prioritized accordingly.