Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today (19 October) said that if the opposition, while opposing the government, paved the way for the return of autocracy, it would bring no good to the country and amount to a betrayal of both the martyrs of the 2024 July uprising and the 1971 Liberation War.
Calling for constructive opposition, he said political differences should not prevent the government and the opposition from working together on fundamental national issues, including employment, public safety, healthcare, education and national independence.
"If we continue with this old political culture of opposing for the sake of opposition, how can we move the country forward? The opposition must certainly oppose, but its opposition should be constructive," he said.
The prime minister made the remarks after inaugurating the July Martyrs' Memorial and the renovated Osmani Udyan in the capital this morning, alongside family members of those killed during the July 2024 uprising.
Referring to the absence of opposition leaders from the programme, Tarique Rahman said the government had invited prominent opposition leaders and other important figures to join the event commemorating the martyrs.
"You did not need to sit on this stage with the government. You could have maintained your distance from us; there is no problem with that. But if you truly uphold the spirit of July, you could have come and sat among the families of the July martyrs," he said.
He said opposition leaders and lawmakers had gained public recognition partly through the sacrifices of those killed and injured during the uprising, including those who lost their eyesight.
"Yet we cannot see you among these people today," he said, adding that the people were watching whether the opposition was opposing the government merely for the sake of opposition.
The prime minister said both the government and the opposition had received their respective mandates from the people through the election and should recognise that both had a responsibility to serve the public interest.
He said the country should move away from a politics of blame that portrays the opposition as the sole representative of the people while suggesting that the government does not care about their interests.
Tarique Rahman said political parties might differ on constitutional amendments, reforms and other issues, but they should be able to reach common ground on fundamental matters affecting people's lives.
"The people have sent us to parliament to discuss these issues, present our arguments and counterarguments, and make decisions so that they can continue their daily struggles," he said.
Drawing a parallel between the July uprising and the Liberation War, the prime minister said the martyrs of both struggles had sacrificed their lives for a common goal: establishing democratic rights and ensuring that people could express their views freely and exercise their voting rights.
He said their aspirations also included quality education for future generations, proper healthcare, employment opportunities for young people after completing their studies and a safe environment for all citizens.
The prime minister said the July uprising had helped restore a democratic environment in the country, through which the people elected a government to lead the country for the constitutional five-year term.
Referring to the political legacy of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), he said the party's founder, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, introduced multiparty democracy, while former prime minister Khaleda Zia initiated parliamentary democracy in the country.
He said the government was working to provide treatment for those injured in the July uprising and support the families of those killed, including through employment opportunities and other assistance.
Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated the July Martyrs' Memorial in the presence of Abu Sayed's father, Md Mokbul Hossain; Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho's father, Mostafizur Rahman; Shahriar Khan Anas's mother, Sanjida Khan Dipti; and Wasim Akram's father, Mohammad Shafiul Alam.
The 90-foot-high memorial, built on about one acre of land, preserves the names of those killed during the July 2024 uprising. Twenty symbolic grave markers have been installed in front of it.
The memorial's relief sculptures depict Bangladesh's successive struggles for rights and democracy, including the Language Movement of 1952, the mass uprising of 1969, the Liberation War of 1971, the mass movement of 1990 and the July uprising of 2024.
The prime minister also planted a sapling on the memorial premises before inaugurating the renovated Osmani Udyan, a 23-acre historic park located between Old and New Dhaka.
The renovation has transformed the park into a modern recreational space, with restored and newly built water bodies, additional tree plantations, green islands, around 3.1 kilometres of walking paths, an exercise area, public toilets, parking facilities and a rainwater-harvesting system with a capacity of 50,000 litres.
During his speech, the prime minister urged architects and planners to minimise environmental damage in future construction projects, saying development should go hand in hand with protecting nature.
He also called on citizens to help keep public spaces, particularly the memorial and the park, clean, describing them as public and state assets.
Referring to his recent visits to educational institutions, government hospitals and residential facilities for public servants, he said cleanliness was comparatively better in educational institutions than in hospitals and government employees' residential areas.
"Maintaining hygiene is the first condition of healthcare," he said, urging hospital authorities and public servants to take greater responsibility for keeping their workplaces and residential surroundings clean.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam and Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton were present, among others.