Tareque Rahman is coming to Chattogram for the first time since taking office as prime minister. On a one-day visit on Sunday, he will take part in various programmes in Cox’s Bazar’s Maheshkhali and in Banshkhali, Fatikchhari and Hathazari of Chattogram. At the end of the visit, in the evening, he will join a Chattogram BNP organisational meeting at the five-star Radisson Blu hotel in the city.
At the organisational meeting, the prime minister will speak directly with grassroots leaders and activists of the Chattogram city, north and south district BNP as well as 11 wings and associate bodies. Activists will also get to speak with him, said Barrister Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin, MP for Chattogram-5 (Hathazari-part of Bayezid) and state minister for land and Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs.
He said: “Prime Minister Tareque Rahman will this time speak directly with grassroots leaders and activists of Chattogram’s three organisational units — city, north and south BNP — and 11 wings and associate bodies. The activists too will speak with the prime minister. This is Tareque Rahman’s political philosophy. Holding this philosophy, he wants to move the country and the party forward.”
Extensive preparations are under way among the Chattogram district administration, law-enforcement agencies and BNP activists over the visit. The district administration said preparations at the visit’s seven venues, including Banshkhali, Fatikchhari and Hathazari, are complete.
On Saturday, Chattogram deputy commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia inspected several venues in Fatikchhari and Hathazari to oversee last-minute preparations and security. He visited the helipad built at the Pelagazi Dighi ground in Fatikchhari, the Babunagar madrasa, the ground beside Hathazari Government College and the district council dak bungalow.
Visit begins with Maheshkhali
According to the schedule, the prime minister will reach Maheshkhali at 9am on Sunday. There he will inspect the Matarbari deep-sea port, the coal-based power project and the activities of the Maheshkhali Integrated Development Authority (MIDA). He will then go by helicopter to the area near Baharchhara beach in Banshkhali upazila, where he will take part in an event to rehabilitate flood victims and distribute relief. He is also to hand over keys to new homes to 100 homeless families at the same event.
Extensive preparations have also been made among BNP and its wings and associate bodies in Banshkhali over the prime minister’s arrival. Preparatory meetings have been held at upazila, municipal, union and ward levels, directing activists to take part in the programmes in an orderly manner.
South district BNP member-secretary Lion Helal Uddin said the prime minister would distribute relief and hand over keys to new homes for flood victims in Banshkhali. Although there is no public rally, a large number of people may turn out just to catch a glimpse of the prime minister; preparations to welcome him have been made with that in mind.
Meeting Babunagari in Fatikchhari
From Banshkhali the prime minister will go by helicopter to the Al Jamiatul Islamia Azizul Ulum Babunagar madrasa in Fatikchhari. There he is to pay a courtesy call on Hefazat-e-Islam Amir Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari, then exchange views with the organisation’s central and district-level leaders.
Hefazat-e-Islam has described the meeting as a non-political courtesy call. Its leaders said the visit is to keep the promise the prime minister made, at the time of his oath, to meet the Amir.
For the prime minister’s arrival, a pavilion and stage have been set up at the Babunagar madrasa, along with a temporary helipad for the helicopter to land.
Rehabilitation support in Hathazari
From Fatikchhari the prime minister will travel by road to Hathazari. There he will visit the Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam madrasa and pay respects at the grave of Hefazat-e-Islam’s founding Amir, the late Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi.
Then, at the ground beside Hathazari Government College, 30 affected families are each to be given 100,000 taka (1 lakh) as help to build homes. The same event also includes financial help of 10,000 taka each to 15 persons with disabilities.
Law-enforcement on security
Police, RAB, BGB and the Special Security Force (SSF) are working to ensure the prime minister’s visit passes off smoothly, along with intelligence agencies. Deputy commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia said every venue on the schedule had been toured, overall preparations were complete, and last-minute preparations and the latest situation were now being monitored.
BNP organisational meeting in the evening
At the end of the visit, in the evening, the prime minister will join a Chattogram BNP organisational meeting at the five-star Radisson Blu hotel in the city. Leaders of the city, north and south district BNP and 11 wings and associate bodies are to take part. Party sources said the meeting may discuss Chattogram’s organisational situation, local problems and party activities. Several senior leaders who have long served the party will also be invited.
Chattogram city BNP member-secretary Nazimur Rahman said BNP and its wings’ and associate bodies’ leaders would take part on the basis of set criteria, and that some senior leaders who have long served the party would also be invited.
According to the schedule, the prime minister is to leave Chattogram for Dhaka at 9:20pm on Sunday.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report