‘Gupto leaders lecture us...look at your own house first’: PM Tarique

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday took a sharp swipe at opposition Jamaat-e-Islami, calling it a “gupto” political party and telling its leaders to deal with allegations involving their own members before lecturing the BNP.

“Leaders of a gupto political party are lecturing us... telling us to do this and do that,” Tarique told a rally in Feni’s Parshuram.

“Please look at your own house first. Deal with how people in your own house are abusing women before coming to lecture others,” he said.

Tarique did not name Jamaat in that part of his speech, but his remarks were directed at the opposition party, according to reports of the event. He has repeatedly used “gupto” — Bangla for hidden or covert — as a political label for Jamaat.

The prime minister was speaking after inaugurating the Muhuri-Kahua Flood Control, Drainage and Irrigation Project in the Ghatghar area of Parshuram on Thursday afternoon.

He also invoked Jamaat’s role during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, telling the audience to consider the party’s record before accepting its criticism of the government.

“Before pointing fingers at others, they should look at their own activities,” Tarique said.

He accused some political parties of attempting to exploit recent “unwanted incidents” to create instability and disorder.

“Everyone must remain alert about those who are trying to destabilise the country by exploiting unwanted incidents,” he said.

Tarique said his government would enforce the rule of law and ensure the law applied equally to everyone.

The prime minister then turned to his government’s welfare programmes, including the Farmer Card and Family Card initiatives.

He said agricultural loans of up to 10,000 taka had been waived after the government took office and that the planned Farmer Card would allow state support to reach farmers directly without middlemen.

The Family Card, he said, was intended in part to help women become financially independent.

“If women become self-reliant, their families as well as the men in those families will benefit,” Tarique said.

Tarique said the Muhuri-Kahua project would benefit about 450,000 people and bring 34,000 hectares of land under cultivation.

He said the project was expected to increase crop production by 100,000 tonnes.

The project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in June at an estimated cost of 1,542.16 crore taka.

Tarique also announced that Parshuram Upazila Hospital would be expanded from 50 to 150 beds and said the government planned to establish 150-bed hospitals in every upazila.

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