BNP unveils plan for ‘rainbow nation’ by 2030
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today unveiled her party’s ‘Vision 2030’ to turn the country into a “rainbow nation” to create a political culture where all people of varying opinions can coexist peacefully.
“By providing space for all shades of opinions and beliefs, we want to nurture and strengthen a political culture which will create a vibrant pluralistic society. Bangladesh will become a rainbow nation through unity and diversity,” Khaleda said while addressing her party’s sixth national council.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. In her written statement, the BNP chief briefly described the Vision 2030 and said she will seek people’s opinion in this regard soon.
“We want to combine 3 Gs, which are good politics, good governance and good government,” she said.
Talking about her arch-rival Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda said: “In recent years, people felt it quite well that the absolute executive authority of the prime minister has given rise to a despotic and authoritarian rule.”
“To bring an end to this, BNP will ensure a balance in the executive authority of the state by enacting necessary constitutional amendment.”
In a major disclosure of the party’s 2030 vision, Khaleda said her party will take necessary measures to create bicameral parliament with country’s experienced professionals, educationalists, intellectuals in the upper chamber of the parliament.
She said they will create plans to elevate the country’s economic growth to double digit.
“To achieve this, we will take initiatives to forge social compromising deal.”
The BNP chief said her party will also introduce positive politics in the country after coming out of the current political culture of vengeance and confrontation.
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While beginning of her 111-minute speech, Khaleda recalled the outstanding contributions of the country’s great national leaders: Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq, Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy, Maulana Bhashani and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She remembered that they had played great role in many ways to make the country independent.
Earlier she inaugurated the programme by hoisting the national and party flags, and releasing pigeons at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) around 10:45am.
The national anthem, party song and council theme song were also played in the inaugural ceremony where all central leaders of the party were present.
Delivering the welcome speech, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir observed that the future action plan for BNP should be party, movement and election.
The veteran leader also urged the party leaders and activists to remain alert about the "infiltrators from the government," alleging that the infiltrators are responsible to confuse a democratic movement.
With the aim to return to "positive politics", the BNP holds its long-awaited sixth triennial national council today, more than six years after the previous one.
Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman have already been elected unopposed to the posts of chairperson and senior vice chairman. Their election will be endorsed by the councillors today.
However, Khaleda is most likely to not announce the name at the council. The same will happen in case of the party's national standing and executive committees where a number of changes are expected.
The full-fledged committees would be announced two or three weeks later, sources said.
A few dozen amendments to the BNP charter are likely to be proposed at the council for approval.
Over 3,100 councillors, 8,000 delegates and around 1,000 guests -- including political leaders and eminent citizens -- are expected attend the council.
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