DHAKA: The 1971 Liberation War is the foundation of Bangladesh as a state and its politics, and the country’s very existence cannot be imagined without it, BNP acting chairperson and late PM Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman said, referring to the conflict that resulted in Bangladesh’s independence (then East Pakistan) with the help of India.Tarique, who is set to become the chief of Bangladesh’s largest political party, said the new political reality and possibilities that have emerged in the country after the recent “uprising” – the 2024 movement that led to the Sheikh Hasina govt’s collapse – must be utilised to take the nation foward. “Everyone, including govt and opposition, must work together to move the country forward,” he said when leaders of Democratic United Front, a coalition of Left-leaning parties, met him Monday.Emphasising the importance of national unity, he said the current opportunity must be used to strengthen democracy. BASD general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz said that “Tarique Rahman said they have a plan to build a liberal, democratic and welfare-oriented state and want to work in that direction, learning from the past. The people will remain at the centre of their politics.”
