Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Tuesday pledged to ensure education, healthcare, and improved housing for residents of Karail slum if his party comes to power.
While speaking at a prayer gathering in Banani’s T&T Colony on Tuesday afternoon, Tarique Rahman outilned plans to build hospitals, schools, playgrounds, and residential buildings in the area and stated, “BNP would prioritise access to education and medical services for low-income communities.
The event was held seeking eternal peace for the late former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia. Tarique Rahman attended the programme alongside his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman.

Addressing the residents, Tarique acknowledged their long-standing hardships and told BNP aims to resolve housing problems gradually through planned development.

He said the party intends to construct multi-storey buildings in Karail and allocate small registered flats in names of existing residents to ensure secure and dignified housing.

Alongside housing, Tarique pledged initiatives to improve education and healthcare for the community. He said BNP plans to establish quality schools for children in Karail and ensure spaces for sports and recreation.

Emphasising healthcare access, he said clinics and hospitals would be built within the locality so residents would not need to travel far for treatment, with a goal of delivering health services closer to households.
Tarique is contesting the upcoming parliamentary election from the Dhaka-17 constituency, which includes Karail slum. Formal election campaigning is scheduled to begin on January 22 after the allocation of electoral symbols.

Referring to the election, the acting chairman said he was unsure whether his remarks would fall under electoral code restrictions but stressed that his intentions were driven by a desire to serve the people with sincerity and faith.
Karail slum, the largest in the capital, was established in the 1990s after encroachment on about 93 acres of land belonging to three government agencies. Around 40,000 households of low-income residents currently live in the area.