Dhaka: BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman today announced an eight-point development plan covering key sectors, promising their implementation if the party comes to power in the upcoming national elections slated for February 2026. He made the announcement while speaking as the chief guest at the second day of BNP’s seven-day programme titled “Plan for Nation Building” at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) Convention Hall here in the city. BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi presided over the event.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Tarique Rahman’s eight-point plan includes initiatives such as the Farmer Card, which aims to support farmers with subsidized fertilizer, seeds, pesticides, agricultural machinery, and easy loans. It also promises crop insurance, fair-price sale of produce, mobile access to market and weather information, agricultural training, and support for fish and livestock farmers.
Another major initiative, Nationwide Employment, focuses on developing cottage industries and SMEs, providing low-interest loans, enhancing export opportunities, and merit-based government recruitment. It also aims to create 800,000 jobs in the IT sector, implement an international payment gateway, provide employment for marginalized groups, and establish Skill Development and Career Centers in educational institutions.
The Family Card initiative plans to distribute a card to every household, providing a monthly allowance of BDT 2,000-2,500 or essential commodities like rice, pulses, oil, and salt, aiming to reduce poverty, hunger, and empower women.
For the Education Sector Development, the plan includes the ‘One Teacher, One Tab’ initiative, joyful learning, teamwork, moral and social education from Class VI, compulsory technical education at the secondary level, mid-day meals, multimedia classrooms, third-language education, and inclusion of sports and culture. It also seeks to modernize technical and vocational education, provide hands-on training, and offer international standard certification.
In the Healthcare sector, the plan focuses on eliminating corruption, recruiting 100,000 healthcare workers with 80% of them being women, providing primary healthcare in cities, village-level disease prevention, maternal and newborn care, and affordable treatment for critical diseases through PPP. It also promises free primary care medicine, low-cost cancer medicines, domestic vaccine supply, and year-round mosquito eradication.
The welfare of Khatibs, Imams, and Muazzins is addressed with proposals for monthly honorarium, festival allowances, skill development training, expansion of mosque-based education programs, strengthening Imam-Muazzin Welfare Trust, and similar benefits for heads of places of worship of other religions.
Environmental plans include the excavation or re-excavation of 20,000 km of rivers and canals, development of the Teesta and Padma Barrage projects, planting 250 million trees over five years, nationwide integrated waste management, and production of fuel and organic fertilizer from waste.
For the Sports Sector Development, the plan proposes establishing sports as a profession, mandatory sports education from Class IV, scholarships for talented students aged 12-14 through ‘Notun Kuri Sports’, construction of Sports Villages with indoor facilities in all 64 districts, appointment of Upazila Sports Officers, BKSP branches in all divisions, playground expansion, and establishment of a sports equipment industry.
The event was inaugurated earlier by BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed, with BNP joint secretary general Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel moderating. Various units of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) also participated in the programme.