Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday asked party leaders and activists to stand by the people, urging them to act with patience and remain within the law to meet public expectations.

“There are many problems in the country. We need to explain things to the people. We must stand by them and help them remain patient, and support them in being patient,” he said.

The Prime Minister made the call while addressing several thousand BNP leaders, activists and supporters who gathered on the road in front of the party’s central office in Nayapaltan.

He addressed them from the second-floor balcony of the office at ght.ni

Tarique said people of the country are looking towards the party with high expectations. “So all our leaders and activists, both here and across the country, must remain patient and stay within the law.”

Due to the presence of a huge number of party leaders and followers in front of the Nayapaltan office, vehicular movement on the road remained disrupted from the afternoon.

Referring to the issue, Tarique said, “We must not do anything that causes suffering or inconvenience to people.”

“Right now, the number one task is to clear this road,” he added.

Mentioning that such a situation makes it difficult for him to visit the party office, the Prime Minister said if this kind of disorder continues, it will be difficult for him to come to the party office.

“The road must remain normal so that I can visit the office. With your cooperation, I will be able to come. Without your cooperation, I will not be able to come. Do you want me to come to the office?” he asked.

When the leaders and activists responded positively, the BNP chief urged them to cooperate with him in this regard in the future and keep the environment normal.

“I will come to the office again in the next few days. I will observe the situation. If it remains normal, I will continue to come. But roads must not be blocked like this,” he said.

Tarique reiterated that if roads remained blocked like this, it would not be possible for him to visit the office, adding that being able to come would allow him to meet leaders and activists and carry out organisational work effectively.

“If you want to see me at the Nayapaltan office, you must keep the roads normal. You must not block roads or disrupt people’s movement. Is that clear?” He said.

The Prime Minister then asked his party followers to clear the road within half an hour, reminding them that people are looking at the party with high expectations.

“If you act like this, people in the area will suffer. Thousands of people will face problems. We do not want to be the cause of people’s suffering,” he said.

Later, at around 9:40pm, the Prime Minister came down from the building and left in his car for his Gulshan residence.

Tarique arrived at the office around 7:00pm, said his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon.

Party leaders and activists welcomed him upon his arrival.

Rumon said the Prime Minister worked from his chamber at the party office and discussed organisational matters with leaders of the party and its associate bodies.
This was his first visit to the party’s central office since taking oath as Prime Minister.

However, he had visited the office once earlier after returning to the country from London.

A large number of party leaders, activists and supporters gathered in front of the office ahead of his arrival.

From the afternoon, they started arriving in processions from different parts of the city. They took positions on both sides of the road from Nightingale intersection to Fakirapool, creating a large crowd in the area.

Many were seen carrying party banners, festoons and placards with various slogans. Leaders and activists of BNP’s associate bodies, including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and Swechchhasebak Dal, chanted slogans in groups, creating a festive and lively atmosphere.

Members of the Prime Minister’s special security unit, along with other law enforcement agencies, were deployed in and around the office from the morning to maintain security.

Earlier, the Prime Minister attended a meeting of the BNP parliamentary party at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, where various issues related to the ongoing parliamentary session were discussed.

He later went to Nayapaltan from the parliament.