Will keep our interests in mind on foreign policy, says Tarique Rahman

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Rahman chose his words carefully and responded in a measured manner in his first media interaction at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dhaka, which was packed with local and foreign journalists along with the BNP top brass and activists of the party, which won a two-thirds majority in the elections on February 12.

According to sources, the BNP has requested the interim government led by Chief Advisor Prof Mohammad Yunus to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the swearing-in ceremony. The swearing-in is expected to take place on February 17 after the official formalities of gazette notification and calling of the Parliament for the swearing-in of newly elected MPs followed by the Cabinet formation.

When asked, Rahman’s foreign affairs advisor Humayun Kabir told The Indian Express that they are planning to invite some regional leaders. There is no tradition in Bangladesh politics to invite foreign leaders for swearing-in.

The measured statements from Rahman and a possible invitation to Prime Minister Modi reflect a reciprocal gesture to Delhi’s outreach on Friday. Modi was the first leader to call Rahman, and had posted a congratulatory message on social media much before the official results came out. This is an important move in the backdrop of strained bilateral ties over the past year-and-a-half.

When asked about SAARC’s future, Rahman said Bangladesh had taken the initiative to start the grouping, and he will talk to other countries about its possible revival.

Asked about Bangladesh-China ties, he said, “China is a development friend… we will try to protect the interest of the people of Bangladesh. If there is something which will not be in the interest of Bangladesh, we can’t go by that.”

On the Belt and Road Initiative, he said, “We’ll see if that helps… the economy of Bangladesh”.

His responses were met with loud cheers and applause by the party activists in the room.

When a Bangladesh journalist asked if there was any “engineering” he had to do to win the elections — a loaded reference here, often alluding to rigging — Rahman said, “To convince our people to support us is our engineering”, a statement that was again met with loud applause from the BNP supporters.

Asked about challenges faced by Bangladesh, he said, “We have a very serious challenge to basically tackle the economy of the country.” He added that the other challenge is the “law and order situation and safety of our people”.

Referring to the Hasina-led Awami League government, he said, “The last regime had politicised all the institutions in the country, so we have to ensure good governance.”

In his prepared remarks, Rahman made a conciliatory statement towards political rivals. “I call upon all democratic political parties that participated in the election. Your ideas and perspectives are important to us in the nation-building process. 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,” he said.

He said, “Now it is time to build the nation. In this journey of rebuilding the country, each and every one of us must play a responsible role. We have celebrated this victory of democracy and human rights peacefully and with dignity.”

In a country where political score-settling post-elections is common, he said, “To ensure that no unpleasant incidents occur anywhere in post-election Bangladesh, despite many provocations, I call upon all BNP leaders and activists across the country to remain calm and vigilant, so that no malicious force can exploit the situation to create unrest. Even after achieving a landslide victory, I instructed BNP and allied party leaders and activists not to hold victory processions. We have celebrated our victory by offering thanks to Almighty Allah.”

Rahman said “our position is clear”. “Peace and order must be maintained at any cost. No wrongdoing or unlawful activity will be tolerated. Regardless of party, religion, race, or differing opinions, under no circumstances will attacks by the strong against the weak be accepted,” he said, at a time when the Awami League supporters, which include many from the Hindu community, are concerned about their fate.

“Justice will be our guiding principle. If the rule of law is not established, all our efforts will be in vain. In upholding the rule of law, whether in government or opposition, regardless of differing views, the law must be equal for every citizen of Bangladesh,” he said.

“During the election, while competing against one another, misunderstandings or discord may have arisen in some places. I urge everyone to ensure that such disputes do not turn into revenge or retaliation,” he said.

The centre-right BNP has won the elections with 209 seats in the parliament of 300 seats, which gives them a two-thirds majority. Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islamist party, has secured 68 seats on its own, and a total of 77 seats along with its alliance partners, making them the second-largest party in the parliament.

Hasina’s Awami League party was barred from contesting the polls, which recorded 59.44 per cent voter turnout.