Staff Correspondent, Narayanganj 

Zainul Abedin Farroque, an advisor to the BNP Chairperson, speaking directly to the head of the interim government, said, “It seems some people don’t want to give up power anymore. It’s been nine months, yet there’s still no announcement of an election date or a roadmap. This raises a question in everyone’s mind: were you appointed to hold power permanently? If Shahabuddin could conduct elections in three months, why can’t you do it in nine and a half?”

He continued, “People are beginning to suspect that something shady is going on—perhaps a conspiracy to form another political party by eliminating BNP. There's no more room for dragging out the election process by calling us for repeated discussions. Given the current state of the country, I urge you to transfer power to the people’s representatives and the parliament by December.”

He made these remarks on Sunday morning in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, during a discussion and prayer event organized by the Mitali Market Traders’ Association on the occasion of the 44th martyrdom anniversary of BNP’s founder, former President Ziaur Rahman.

Zainul Abedin Farroque further said, “Sheikh Hasina has strangled democracy just as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman once did. Just as a mass uprising of students and citizens overthrew a fascist regime in the past, now a new conspiracy is unfolding in Bangladesh. We must tear down this web of conspiracy and rebuild the BNP under the leadership of Tarique Rahman. This is not the time to argue over who’s a bigger leader or who holds a higher position. The only identity that matters now is: I am with BNP.”

He added, “As a humble worker, I only recognize three indispensable leaders: the martyred President Ziaur Rahman, our leader Khaleda Zia, and our current leader Tarique Rahman. I don’t need to be indispensable myself.”

Addressing Awami League leader Shamim Osman, Farroque said, “Shamim Osman kept my leader (Khaleda Zia) trapped under a billboard for hours, saying ‘Let the game begin.’ Now I say—let’s play. The field is open. We have 11 people ready, but where are you? Back then, you relied on police and weapons. But this time, the match will be fair. The referee is on the field. We’ll play with our team from Mitali Market—you don’t even need to go into the city.”

Farroque said, “During Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year rule, countless BNP leaders have suffered under her oppression—living knee-deep in water, sleeping in graveyards. BNP activists from Narayanganj had to drive rickshaws in Rangpur and vice versa. Sheikh Hasina once said, ‘If I step down, not one Awami League member will be safe from the BNP.’ But not a single BNP activist touched an Awami League member. We followed the instructions of Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman to the letter.”

Referring to a newly formed political party, Farroque said, “To those involved in this new conspiracy—dear friends, I welcome the new party.