BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman spoke at award giving ceremony of Arafat Rahman Koko Memorial Cricket Tournament-2025 in West London on Sunday. Photo : BSS

DHAKA, May 19, 2025 (BSS) - Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has called upon all to work together to build the country.

"We may have differences of opinion on various issues. That is normal in a democracy. But, we have to take the country forward together," he told an award giving ceremony of Arafat Rahman Koko Memorial Cricket Tournament-2025 in West London on Sunday (local time).

The event was aired live on facebook from verified account of Tarique Rahman. 

Tarique Rahman pledged if BNP is voted to power in next election, they will take steps to improve the quality of sports and the state will bear the entire responsibility of those who represent the country internationally. 

The number of BKSP (Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan) in the country will be further increased in future to produce quality players, he added.

In this connection, he said that one sports education institution or BKSP will be established in each division of the country.

Tarique Rahman said that currently there are BKSPs in four divisions of the country. 

“If we form the government, we will first establish one BKSP in every division so that good quality players are produced. And the state will take the responsibility of those who will represent Bangladesh in the outside world through sports,” he said.

Elaborating his plan, he added, "We can take up a plan to establish a ward-based playground in Dhaka city. If at least three to four bighas of land can be found between two wards, a field will be built there. Children will play, elders will walk. In other words, people will be able to breathe freely there. We have exactly such an idea," he said.

"We want to revamp the school syllabus. It will include sports and second or third language. There will be separate marks in the exam for this. That means he will have to do sports. We will include it," he added.

About the upcoming election, Tarique Rahman urged the government to hold elections by December.

"Many of our leaders and activists have given their lives for this election. They have been victims of enforced disappearances and torture. This is the political right of the people," he said.

Recalling his younger brother Arafat Rahman, Tarique Rahman said, Arafat had everything that was needed to be proud of.

With Abu Naser Sheikh in the chair, Shafraz Ahmed Sharfur of Arafat Rahman Coco Memorial Trust organized the event.

Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP Member Secretary Aminul Haque, former Deputy Land Minister Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, foreign affairs Advisor to the Acting Chairman of BNP Humayun Kabir, Bogura district BNP Vice-President Mir Shahe Alam, former Bogura BNP MP Mosharraf Hossain, BNP Executive Committee Assistant Secretary Anisur Rahman Talukder Khokon, DAB central committee  Joint Secretary General and Dhaka Metropolitan North President Professor Dr. Sarkar Mahmub Ahmed Shamim, among others, were present. 

The organizers of this event are Fazle Rahman (Pinak), Sheikh Sadek, Dalia Binte Lakuria, Ariful Islam Ujjal, Shakil Chowdhury, Abdus Samad Raj, Fahidul Alam (Farhad), Anjana Alam, Monowar Hossain, Alam Shimu, Shafiul Alam Murad, Kamruzzaman Chowdhury and Tuhin Mollah.