BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman alleged that old conspiracies surrounding elections have resurfaced and warned voters to remain alert over attempts to manipulate expatriates’ postal ballots.

He made the remarks while addressing a late-night rally at the Pachrukhhi Anwara Degree College ground at Araihazar upazila in Narayanganj district.

The rally was held in the early hours of Friday, with Tarique Rahman speaking at around 4:00 AM after launching his campaign journey from Sylhet.

Calling on voters to be vigilant, Tarique Rahman urged people to go to polling centres after performing Tahajjud prayers on election day and to offer Fajr prayers in front of the centres before joining the voting queue.

Addressing a massive crowd, he claimed that voter phone numbers were being collected again as part of a fresh conspiracy linked to the election. He specifically cautioned against alleged irregularities involving postal ballots of expatriate voters.

Tarique Rahman said that people’s voting rights had been suppressed over the last 15 years, but in 2024 citizens from all walks of life, from rickshaw pullers to people of different faiths, took to the streets to defend democracy.

Referring to the Liberation War of 1971 and the movement against what he termed authoritarian rule in 2024, he called for building the country by combining the spirit of both struggles.

Outlining BNP’s election pledges, he said a BNP-led government would introduce family cards, create employment opportunities for the unemployed, undertake canal excavation projects and introduce special agricultural insurance for farmers.

Expressing optimism that people would exercise their political and voting rights on February 12, Tarique Rahman instructed party leaders and activists to stay active in the field until the final moment of the election.

The rally was presided over by BNP’s Narayanganj-2 (Araihazar) constituency nominee Nazrul Islam Azad. Among others who spoke were BNP nominees Mostafizur Rahman Dipu Bhuiyan for Narayanganj-1 (Rupganj), Azaharul Islam Mannan for Narayanganj-3 (Sonargaon and Siddhirganj), and alliance nominee Monir Hossain Kasemi for Narayanganj-4 (Fatullah), along with central and district leaders of BNP and its associate organisations.

Tarique Rahman’s motorcade arrived at the rally venue in Narayanganj at around 3:45 AM, and he left the venue at 4:11 AM.

Despite the biting cold, large numbers of elderly men and women were seen waiting at the venue late into the night to listen to his speech.

Supporters arrived in festive attire decorated with sheaves of paddy, expressing hope that Tarique Rahman would assume state power in the future and lead the country’s development.