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The government is committed to implementing both the BNP’s 31-point reform agenda and the July Charter in full, BNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s meeting and dinner with leaders of political parties that had jointly led the anti-fascist movement, Fakhrul said the prime minister had reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfilling its pledges to the people.
“The 31-point agenda, which we jointly announced, will be implemented. The prime minister also reiterated that the July Charter, signed by all political parties, will be implemented in letter and spirit,” he said.
The meeting was held at the State Guest House Jamuna with leaders of political parties that had stood alongside the BNP during its 15–16-year struggle against what Fakhrul described as fascism, extremism and autocracy.
He said the gathering aimed to exchange views and further strengthen the unity forged through the long democratic movement.
Describing the meeting as emotional, Fakhrul said the leaders recalled the sacrifices of activists who had been jailed, implicated in cases, subjected to enforced disappearance or killed during the movement.
He said Tarique Rahman greeted the allied leaders individually and thanked them for their contributions to the democratic struggle, telling them that the nation would always remember their role.
The prime minister also acknowledged that regular meetings with all allied parties had not been possible during the government’s first five months because of the pressure of state responsibilities and other priority tasks, Fakhrul said.
However, Tarique Rahman assured the leaders that such meetings would now be held more frequently to strengthen political coordination and continue consultations on future programmes.
Highlighting the government’s initiatives, Fakhrul said it had focused on programmes aimed at directly benefiting the people.
These included waiving agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000, including interest, distributing Family Cards and Farmers’ Cards, providing allowances to religious leaders of different faiths, introducing allowances for athletes, re-excavating canals and reviving the “Notun Kuri” initiative.
He said the prime minister also reminded the leaders that the government had taken office amid a devastated economy and weakened institutions inherited from the previous administration.
“The prime minister has started rebuilding those institutions and bringing the government closer to the people,” Fakhrul said.
At the beginning of his remarks, Fakhrul paid tribute to those killed and injured in the July 2024 mass uprising, saying their sacrifices had created an opportunity to restore democracy in the country.
He described the meeting between the prime minister and leaders of the anti-fascist alliance as a significant political event five months after the government was formed, saying it reflected the continuity of the unity forged during the democratic movement.
Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary AAM Saleh Shibly and Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony were also present at the briefing.
