Dhaka: BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is set to formally launch his party’s election campaign for the 13th national parliamentary election from Sylhet on January 22. ‘Tarique Rahman will go to Sylhet on January 22. However, the detailed tour plan is yet to be finalised,’ his Press Secretary Saleh Shibly informed.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the BNP traditionally begins its national election campaign from Sylhet by offering fateha at the shrines of Hazrat Shah Jalal (R) and Hazrat Shah Paran (R). During his visit, Tarique Rahman will offer fateha at both shrines. The exact location where the campaign will officially start is still undecided, but it is expected to commence in Sylhet following the visits to the shrines. The detailed itinerary for Tarique Rahman’s visit and election campaign is expected to be finalized soon.
On Saturday, Tarique Rahman, while exchanging greetings with editors and senior journalists at a hotel in Dhaka, announced that his party would present its plans to the public starting January 22. According to the election schedule, candidates will receive their symbols on January 21, with formal electioneering set to begin the following day.
Previously, the BNP postponed Tarique Rahman’s planned tour of the northern districts. This decision came after an emergency meeting of the party’s Standing Committee on Friday night, following a request from the Election Commission. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that Tarique’s scheduled four-day tour of the northern region, intended to pay tributes to national leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani and Abu Sayed, a martyr of the 2024 student-led mass uprising, had been postponed.
Tarique Rahman had also planned to visit Dinajpur to offer fateha at the grave of his maternal grandmother. Party sources indicated that, having recently assumed the role of party chairman, Tarique Rahman will visit all divisions during the election campaign period, which runs from 6:00 am on January 22 to 7:30 am on February 10, to seek votes for the candidates of his party and alliance partners.