Law and order must be maintained in Bangladesh: BNP's Tarique Rahman

Rahman said the freedom-loving people of the country had made BNP victorious, describing the outcome as 'the victory of the people'

BNP chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday prioritised law and order in Bangladesh "at any cost," saying the 13th general election opened a new chapter for building a safe and humane Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader, who is set to become the prime minister replacing the interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, also spoke about revival of SAARC and how his government's foreign policy will be guided by "the greater interests of Bangladesh and its people."  Rahman's BNP on Friday secured a sweeping victory with more than two-thirds majority in the landmark parliamentary elections held on Thursday.

"Our paths and opinions may differ but in the interest of the country, we must remain united. I firmly believe that national unity is our collective strength while division is our weakness," Rahman told a press conference here, a day after the landslide victory in the parliamentary polls.

Rahman, 60, said, "From today, we are all free, with the true essence of freedom and rights restored," but added that peace and law and order must be maintained at any cost. "We will not tolerate any kind of chaos."  The 13th Parliamentary elections assumed significance as they were held after a period of tumultuous political vacuum, instability and fragile security situation, including widespread attacks on minorities after the student-led protests brought down the over 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India, in August 2024.

The BNP leader said the party will follow a foreign policy that protects the country's interests in its dealings with China, India, and Pakistan, newspaper Dhaka Tribune said.

Bangladesh's foreign policy will be guided by "the greater interests of Bangladesh and its people," Rahman said.

About Bangladesh's future relations with China and the Belt and Road Initiative, he said: "If something is not in Bangladesh's interest, naturally we cannot pursue it. I am certain that mutual interests will be our first priority."  Dhaka Tribune further said that Rahman also spoke about revival of SAARC the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation saying, "SAARC was established through Bangladesh's initiative. We want it to function. We will discuss with our friendly states and try to revive SAARC."  The elections brought BNP to power with two thirds of majority after the party virtually went through nearly two decades of political wilderness.

BNP's former ally, the Jamaat-e-Islami, known to be close to Islamabad and which opposed Bangladesh's independence in 1971, emerged as the main opposition in a changed political landscape. Deposed prime minister Hasina's Awami League was debarred by the outgoing interim government to take part in the polls.

The BNP and the Awami League had alternated state power and served as the main opposition in parliament for decades amid bitter rivalry.

Rahman said the country is now set to begin its journey in a situation marked by a fragile economy left behind by an "authoritarian regime, a weakened constitution and institutions, and a destroyed law and order system."  "With your spontaneous participation, after more than one and a half decades, a parliament and a government accountable to the people through direct voting are re-established in the country," he said.

"We must remain united and uphold the will of the people to ensure that no evil force can re-establish autocracy in the country and to ensure that the nation is not turned into a subservient state," he asserted.

"We need everyone's cooperation to build a safe and humane Bangladesh. This time, everyone must play a responsible role in rebuilding the country."  "No injustice can be done to anyone on any excuse. Law and order must be maintained at any cost," Rahman added.

The BNP leader said the freedom-loving people of the country had made BNP victorious, describing the outcome as "the victory of the people."  "From today, everyone is free. Congratulations to all. With the participation of all, the journey of a fascism-free state has begun in the country," the BNP chairman said.

"Everyone's thoughts are important in building the country. We will build the country based on everyone's opinions," he said.

"In a democratic state and political system, political parties are the true beacon of democracy," he said without reflecting upon his stance on lifting the ban on Awami League. Some 50 political parties took part in the election, he said and added, "Your (parties') ideas and views are important to us in the nation-building process."  During the electioneering, which began days after his return from 17 years of exiled life in the UK, Rahman had noticeably adopted an approach of avoiding inflammatory rhetoric and calling instead for restraint and reconciliation.

According to the Election Commission (EC), the BNP has bagged 209 out of 297 seats, while right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats. Hasina's Awami League party was barred from contesting the polls, which recorded 59.44 per cent voter turnout.

The EC postponed the announcement of results in two seats - Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4 while the election in one seat was postponed due to the death of a candidate.