Tarique Rahman hints at tough road ahead as ‘eco battered by graft, misrule’

DHAKA: Tarique Rahman, in his maiden speech after becoming Bangladesh PM, outlined his govt’s priorities, stressing on improving the law and order situation and turning the country into a safe land for people of all faiths, regardless of party, opinion, religion, or ethnicity. He said, “As the head of the govt, I would like to draw the attention of the people of the country to one important matter — whether you voted for BNP, did not vote for it, or did not vote at all, you all have equal rights to this govt.”

His remarks that were seen as an outreach to members of Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) who screamed fraud after finishing — despite with increased support — far behind BNP, and also possibly supporters of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League which was debarred from elections.

The address also read like an indictment of the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim govt, with Tarique emphasising that the new govt has begun its journey amid a fragile economy battered by corruption and misrule during, what he described, as a period of fascism, along with weak governance structures and a deteriorating law-and-order situation. “Restoring peace and security in the minds of the people by improving law and order and strictly controlling corruption is the priority of our govt,” he said. Tarique said every constitutional, govt and non-govt institution in the country will run according to established rules and regulations. “The rule of law — not party or political influence or coercion — will be final in running the state,” he said.

In his address, he did not elaborate on his foreign policy. He, however, at the beginning of his speech said that “in a Bangladesh freed from subservience, a new govt accountable to the people through their votes has begun its journey”.
Earlier on Wednesday, Tarique chaired the first meeting of the cabinet, which set a 180day priority plan, a departure from the norm of 100-day plans, with focus on controlling commodity prices, maintaining law and order, stabilising supply chains, and ensuring uninterrupted gas and electricity supply, home minister Salahuddin Ahmed was quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper.

With PTI inputs