BNP’s history and Bangladesh’s are ‘almost identical’: Moyeen Khan

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan on Friday said the history of the BNP and that of Bangladesh are “almost identical,” arguing that the party’s political journey has been closely intertwined with the country’s development.

“The history of BNP and the history of Bangladesh are almost identical,” Moyeen Khan said at a discussion marking the party’s 48th founding anniversary at the Handloom Board Institute auditorium in Narsingdi.

He said the idea of Bangladeshi nationalism introduced by BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman was built around the rights and dignity of citizens irrespective of religion, caste or ethnicity.

The BNP, he said, has spent the past 48 years advancing that political philosophy.

Moyeen Khan credited Zia with introducing what he described as a “politics of production and development,” including measures to open up the economy and promote the readymade garment industry and overseas employment.

The two sectors later emerged as major pillars of Bangladesh’s economy, he said.

The minister also credited Zia with advancing the rights of women and children and strengthening Bangladesh’s position internationally.

Recalling Abdul Momen Khan, a BNP founding member from Narsingdi, Moyeen Khan said he played a key role in building the party’s early organisational base and expanding its presence across the district.

Turning to former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Moyeen Khan said she led the movement against autocratic rule for years before becoming Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister elected through a popular vote and subsequently serving three terms.

“BNP does not believe in the politics of vengeance,” Moyeen Khan said. “We believe in establishing justice, democracy and the rights of the people.”

He urged BNP leaders and activists to ensure that the party’s 48-year history and the political philosophy of its founder are passed on to a younger generation.

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