The Daily Star
A month into office, the BNP government has begun implementing its electoral pledges, with efforts underway to energise the administration, reinforce law and order, stabilise the economy, and rebuild public confidence in governance.
After two decades out of power, the party secured an absolute majority in the February 12 polls, winning 209 seats in parliament, and forming the government on February 17.
Though national elections are constitutionally held every five years, the 13th general election was called just 26 months after the January 2024 polls, following the ouster of the Awami League government in August that year.
“What seems most significant after the formation of the government is the prime minister’s focus on certain initiatives that can be described as a good start.”
Among the commitments being implemented, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman yesterday inaugurated a nationwide programme to excavate and re-excavate rivers, canals, and other water bodies in Dinajpur. The initiative aims to improve irrigation, boost agricultural production, and strengthen water management.
In line with the BNP’s election manifesto, the government plans to excavate and re-excavate about 20,000 kilometres of rivers, canals, reservoirs, and other water bodies over the next five years.
The first phase has been launched simultaneously in 54 districts.
The programme echoes the legacy of late president Ziaur Rahman, who introduced a similar initiative to boost the rural economy and agricultural output. The current effort is widely seen as a continuation of that vision.
At its first formal cabinet meeting on February 26, the government approved a proposal to waive agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000, including interest. Liabilities arising from the waiver will be settled through budget allocations, with Tk 1,568 crore earmarked in the revised budget for the current fiscal year.
One of the most talked-about pledges of the BNP’s campaign was the introduction of the Family Card.
On March 10, Tarique launched the pilot programme in his Dhaka constituency.
Under the scheme, over the next five years, about 4 crore selected households will receive Tk 2,500 directly through the government-to-person digital payment system, deposited into women’s mobile financial service or bank accounts.
At the launch, the prime minister also announced that his government has begun work on the Farmer’s Card — another key pledge by the BNP.
The Farmer’s Card will be launched on a pre-pilot basis by April 14 this year, with around 25,000 farmers in nine upazilas of eight districts set to receive the benefit, officials said.
The subsidy amount is still under discussion but is expected to be around Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,500 for a specific category of farmers for crop production during the upcoming Kharif season (mid-March to mid-November).
Around 2.5 crore farmers will benefit from the programme, according to the BNP manifesto.
On March 14, Tarique also kickstarted a monthly honorarium scheme for imams, muazzins, and khadems of mosques, as well as heads and assistant heads of other religious institutions across the country, in its first phase under a pilot programme.
A total of 4,908 mosques, 990 temples, and 144 Buddhist monasteries are covered, benefiting 16,992 religious leaders.
Government sources have also indicated that cards for expatriates and an e-health card system are in the pipeline.
Tarique’s decision to forgo VVIP protocol, his directive requiring all officials to be present at their offices on time, and his own practice of working even on Saturdays — traditionally a holiday — have drawn widespread praise.
His post-election visits to the homes of opposition leaders, including Jamaat-e-Islami’s Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and National Citizen Party Convener Nahid Islam, have further earned him accolades for setting a rare example of political courtesy in Bangladesh.
Contacted, political analyst and Jahangirnagar University Government and Politics Prof Al Masud Hasanuzzaman said, “What seems most significant after the formation of the government is the prime minister’s focus on certain initiatives that can be described as a good start.”
He said that although full implementation of programmes such as the Family Card or Farmer Card will take time, the fact that he has already launched them is important.
“These were electoral commitments, and by initiating them early, he has shown sincerity in fulfilling his pledges.”
However, some of the government’s early decisions drew sharp criticism.
One of the key concerns was the appointment of Khalilur Rahman, who served as the national security adviser under the interim government, as foreign minister.
Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizen Party Convenor Nahid Islam had said, “For the sake of neutrality, student advisers were asked to resign, and they did so. But Khalilur Rahman joining the BNP cabinet proves that he had been working for a particular party while serving in the interim government.”
Similarly, the sudden removal of Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur and his replacement with a corporate accountant who owns a garment company also drew flak.
Mansur left the bank on February 25 amid calls for his resignation from central bank employees. The finance ministry had already fast-tracked the appointment of his successor, 59-year-old Mostaqur Rahman, Managing Director and CEO of Hera Sweaters Ltd.
Later, Mansur’s adviser was also ousted following mob pressure inside Bangladesh Bank — both incidents widely described as setting a bad precedent for the institution.
Many, including Transparency International Bangladesh, expressed deep concern over what they described as an attempt by Road Transport, Rail, and Water Transport Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam to legitimise a serious criminal offence by characterising roadside extortion as a form of consensual transaction.
The government also faced backlash over arrests made for playing the March 7 address of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Reports of police excesses during raids in Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital further fuelled public anger.
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/first-month-office-bnp-begins-delivering-key-campaign-pledges-4130596
