Dhaka, Mar 14 (V7N) — Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the BNP government has begun implementing its election promises even before the ink has dried on voters’ hands. He made the remarks after inaugurating the pilot program to provide monthly honorariums to imams, muezzins, and priests at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Saturday morning.

The Prime Minister noted that the family card program has already been launched, while the farmer card program will begin from Pahela Baishakh. Additionally, the canal digging program will start in Dinajpur on March 16.

“By ensuring the political and economic empowerment of every citizen, we want to establish Bangladesh on a strong foundation,” he said. “No more fascism or forces that suppress the freedom of the people and their right to speak will prevail.”

He emphasized the importance of strengthening citizens politically and economically, stating, “If the citizens remain weak, the state can never be strong. That is why our philosophy and plan focus on gradually empowering the people.”

Addressing religious leaders, the Prime Minister highlighted the role of faith in public life. “In the Holy Quran, prayers for both worldly welfare and the hereafter are mentioned. Similarly, other religions also teach guidance for living well. It is crucial for citizens to apply their education, knowledge, and experience for the welfare of the country and its people in the light of religious principles,” he said.

He further stressed the importance of moral and ethical qualities such as patience, honesty, gratitude, respect, loyalty, harmony, tolerance, generosity, friendship, humility, responsibility, and kindness, saying that material prosperity alone cannot make a person complete.

Meanwhile, leaders of mosques, temples, monasteries, and churches that benefited from the program thanked the government for fulfilling its election promises within a month. However, Catholic priests of the Christian community declined to accept the allowance due to religious restrictions.

END/SMA/AJ